Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-26
MY FIRST EDITOR.

It's the natural result of severe course
| of Swinburne!"
| / snatched up my manuscript and was
| leaving the room, flushed with shame
trembling with rage and Indignation,
when the editors voice arrested my at
| tention | turned round and looked at
him scornfully, for felt / could have
withered him with glance; but he did
hot seem to feel it much.
10y ou're most impetuous young lady, !"
ne said, in a slow. low, musical voice
II have not half finished my criticism of
this very remarkable production" and
he took the manuscript quietly but reso-
lutely from my trembling fingers. "Now,
Miss
'Jones, ? / said, shortly.
"Not, not Jones; but the name will
serve" and felt his keen grey eyes on
my face and observed an amused smile
lowering around the corners of his
mouth, which was half hidden by long,
fair, dropping mustache. ''Now, Miss
Jones, pray sit down''-he indicated a
high leather-covered chair just oppo-
site to him-''and let US talk this matter
over. II you had been content, like
other aspiring young authors, to send
your contribution in the ordinary way,
through the medium of the postman and
newspaper wrapper, it would have
been declined, doubtless, aud returned
with or without the customary though
not very consoling thanks; but since
you have bearded the lion in his den,
YOU must listen to me for few minutes.
| bowed and sat down. He had got
1. Il &
me mercilessly, but as | had brought it
on myself felt must heroically endure
it, though | glanced surreptitiously
round the "den" in search of some means
of escape He fixed me with his gilt
tering eye" and | waited, wondering
why had been so mad and misguided
as to enter an editorial office at ALL
Slowly, deliberately, with a sort of
fiendish satisfaction, he smoothed out
the crumpled manuscript, glancing at
me with amused interest.
"Why do you write poetry, Miss
Jones?"
81 don't know; because I like to, l
suppose"
"a woman's reason-therefore valid.
But do you honestly and really think it
necessary for people, even in poetry, and
supposing they are very much in love
with each other-which no one is nova
days--is it necessary for them to be bitten
and 'smitten and that sort of thing?
Is it really desirable In the interests of
common humanity for hearts to be
melted and 'smelted' 9"-and he placed
his finger under certain staLza. This
sentiment, for instance, is simply fero-
cious.n
DON'T" | cried angriIy. ''It's very
cruel and unkind of you! If you don't
want my poetry, you can say so, and
have done with itl'
My passion flowed forth as tor
rens'-which, of course, rhymes with 'ab-
horent.'"
''Stop, please!' and l thrust my fingers
into my ears in the most undignifed
misery but | could not shut out the
sound of the clear, quiet, hooking voice
l shut my eyes; but still there was the
horrid, gloating, good looking editor
watching me steadily, his hand resting
on my beautifully written poem-I
thought then and think to this day that
it was and is beautiful When l looked
at him again, he was laughing at my
distress, smiling to himself, like a ghoul
or a harpy, or something equally horrid,
but that he was exasperatingly good
looking.
"Now, Miss Jones, what else have YOU
written beside this very remarkable pro-
ductionl' with another suppressed smile.
'''Some blank verse and banker prose-
And more of both than anybody knows, :"
/ reply, little bitterly. 'SWill you please
give me my manuscript? I'm very sorry to
have troubled you; shall never do so
again.
'.Oh, yes, you will; and | shall be very
glad to consider some of the blank prose
you speak so despairingly of! If you
will let me see nice matter-of-fact COM
monpace little story. or a short article
on some domestic subject, such as The
Average Servant or Occupation for
Girls anything of that sort-can you
suggest anything2 he looks at me
gravely and questioningly- something
novel and attractive, that might be
treated briefly and brightly-made "a
feature of, in short-I shall be very
pleased to consider anything of that sort
you may favor me with, Miss Jones'
He always paused most proyokingly
after the Miss and / hardly knew
whether to be angry OF to laugh outright
as stammered feeble Thank you.a
And you really should cut Swim
burne.'' he added, with a meaning
| glance at the manuscript.
. / don't know Mr.. Swinburne-that
is, met him only once, and then he
said something to me in Greek, re-
/ V,lsaI