The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-24

GIL.
From first to last l heard no grum
,e, bling about myself. All went smooth
ly, and my dear author would smill
and sing over me as the proofs of my
. progress came by the post to her twice
q, a week.
The great day came at last. After
/ had been punched and flattened and
stitched, | was inclosed in a modest
gray binding with silver letters, and
was-published!
All, me! with what crowds of other
books did | make my debut into the
Wholesale publishers warehouse,
where we were all ranged en- shelves
waiting for orders.
Some were sent for review, some to
the trade; one, with ten pounds, to my
dear author.
Who of all the people that glanced
at me guessed the labor which had
been bestowed on me in my creation,
and the joy which [ gave when
l lay complete on the breakfast
table one dark December morn
ing? How proud was the young hus-
band! How he took me up and ad-
mired my binding, my silver letters
and my title. BY the by, l have never
told you my name. 1t was bright
Days"
This is a bright day to me, dar-
ling" said the husband, hugging me
and the baby and my author in one
fervent embrace.
Then the ten pounds were examined
the crossed checkr'
payable to you," she said, $50 you
must take the money. L am only a
woman, so [ can't take my wage. So
nice that it is yoursi''
How happy they werei how full of
bright plans and schemes! That ten
pounds was an Ell Dorado-thal check,
signed by Messrs. Best & Grove, like
a banner of victory.
And now | must go to less pleasant
subjects. l was not a succe $ com
mercially- hardly a failure, but not a
success.
Thousands passed me in the race.
Books full of dark deeds-cheating,
murder, and the like-sold. Books
full of affected flights of aesthetic
culture and lofty agnostic teaching,
sold; but | was passed by.
/ must speak as a noun of multi
tude, for a certain freemasonrv is
established among us as a tribe, and
we know pretty well by results what
has happened. I
Bright Days" the appearance of i
which caused such pleasure in that {
dull little London lodging, was lent TO {
admiring friends and read; it was lent J
to others, and dismissed with faint +
a
A great critic in literature called it
yoody, another dull; a third laughed Il
)ver it with his clever wife, and wrote
What ho thought a singing piece of -"
iatire-only a few lines. bright G
was not worth more! n
''Will you take another storyP" nv y
.uthor asked of Mr.. Best. W
swell, | am afrald"-and the beard y
yas stroked thoughtfully-"I am +
fraid-not at u risk; we must wait. ~
sales may effect Bright =.
But, to tell you the honest =.
ruth, there is not a spice of wicked IL IL
ess in the tale to insure its success n;
18th novel readers, no very startling ~
l~terest, no tragic incident-pray for va
i've my candOr-and then, for the q.
folk, there is not enough said Pa
religion. Though some call you ye
others think you worldly. "a
our heroine goes to a dance, and ~
nee even to the theater, and, ridicu- "a
us rs it may SEEM, hat is enough to az
leck the circulation in some homes" ~ W
$50 you think l had better never ta~
rite another book?" my author said, 90,
that sweet, low voice of hers, which wo
we'll knew was the sound of repress- for
tears. as
81 would not 90 so far as that. 70
our story is true to lfe-a little too wo
it is we'll written; there are beau far
ul passages in it; but, to sum up in
few words, Bright Days is not a
Well, there are different notions as I
success, but it seems to me that 7 wit
| not altogether fail when a letter, The
Q the one which l heard my au- ten
)r's husband read I her, was writ pie
about me. ban
t came the very next day after the Goo
with Messrs. Best & Grove; his
was addressed to their care, and froI
Iv forwarded. My dear author 1t i
I'd to read it, but the baby snatched atte
it and tried to thrust the crumpled ball
re into her mouth, and the Young and
Their handed it to her husband, say VIII
:: upv
DO read it for me; 1 can not mag God
who wrote it," basil
1t is about Bright Days." her his
band said, and l., lying on the bar
ting table, heard my name, and 1t lie
all attention. The
he letter was as follows: in
"WooDCHEsTER MANOR, May 10. aftei
DEAR MADAM-Wil you forgive abou
for addressing youp 1 am a seen
to you, or rather 1 was a gan
a week ago. Now l feel as 5000
had found a friend in you and l cut
1t needs tell you so. L am a prs seen
r to a sofa; all manly exercises in the
CHI others of my age delight, are agail
led TO me. Ihave found my con- was
on a sore trial of patience, and l of 81
| have been a sore trial to the see
ence of others. A few days ago a eartl
of books came from Nudes. NV was
ant unpacked the volumes as near,
and at my request read me the the
G last