The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-04

ping aoOut myself. ALI went smooth
ly, and my dear author would smile
and sing over me as the proofs of my
progress came by the post to her twice
/ a week.
The great day came at last. After
had been punched and fiattened 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 on 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 I 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, nv silver letters
and my title. BY the by, have never
told you my name. 1t was bright
Days.
''This is 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 check"
Payable to you," she said, $50 you
must take the money. I am only a
woman, so can't take my wage. So
nice that it is yours!''
How happy they were! how full of
bright plans and schemes! That ten
pounds was an Ell Dorado-thal check,
signed by Messrs. Best & Grove, like
banner of victory.
And now l must go to less pleasant
subjects. l was not succe COM
mercially-- hardly a failure, but not
success.
Thousands passed me in the race.
Books full of dark deeds-cheatine
murder, and the like-sold. Books
full of affected flights of aesthetic
culture and lofty agnostic teaching,
sold; but was passed by.
l must speak as a noun of multi
tude, for a certain freemasonry is
established among US as tribe, and
we know pretty well by results what
has happened.
Bright Days" the appearance of
which caused such pleasure in that
dull little London lodging, was lent to
admiring friends and read; it was lent
to others, and dismissed with faint
praise.
A great critic in literature called it
goody, another dull; a third laughed
over it with his clever wife, and wrote
what he thought singing piece of
satire-only a few lines Bright
Days" was not worth more!
"Will you take another story?" my
author asked of Mr.. Best.
"Well, am afrald" d"-and the beard
was stroked thoughtfully-.'I am
afraid-not at our risk; we must wait.
Autumn sales may effect Bright
Days But, to tell you the honest
truth, there is not a spice of wicked
ness in the tale to insure it's success
with novel readers, no very startling
interest, no tragic incident-pray for
give my candor-and then, for the
stricter folk, there is not enough said
of religion. Though some call you
'goody,' others think you worldly
Your heroine goes to dance, aud
once even to the theater, and, ridicu-
lous as it may seem, that is enough to
check the circulation in some homes"
$50 you think 1 had better never
write another book?" my author said,
in that sweet, low voice of hers, which
l well knew was the sound of repress-
ed tears.
81 would not 90 so far as that
Your story is true to llfe-a little too
true; it is well written; there are beau
Il -,
few words, Bright Days is not
success"
Well, there are different notions as
to success, but it seems to me that
did not altogether fail when letter,
like the one which L heard my au-
thor's husband read to her, was writ
ten about me.
1t came the very next day after the
it was addressed to their care, and
duly forwarded. NV dear author
tried to read it, but the baby snatched
at it and tried to thrust the crumpled
page into her mouth, and the young
mother handed it to her husband, say
ing:
s.Do read it for me; 1 can not imag-
inc who wrote it,
- 10 "cCue III guy lays, ucI
husband said, and l. lying on the
writing table, heard my name, and
was all attention.
The letter was as follows:
''WooDCHEsTER MANOR, May 1S.
'DEAR MADAM-Will you forgive
me for addressing you? 1 am a
stranger to you, or rather I was
stranger a week ago. Now feel as
if l had found friend in you, and l
must needs tell you so. am prs
oner to a sofa; all manly exercises in
which others of my age delight, are
denied to me. have found my con-
dition sore trial of patience, and l
know l have been sore trial to the
patience of others. A few days ago
box of books came from Nudes. Nv
servant unpacked the volumes as
usual, and at my request read me the
titles.
SAT last he came to Bright Days.
One Volume. By Cara Cameron, Best
and Crowe.'
The very title seemed little in
appropriate. 1 tossed the book aside,
,,I Gov