Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-28

mand and would bring, when put on
the market, about $50. But before it
could be sold it must be corrected, and
if had any friend that could correct it
for me had better get him to do so;
to do the work if l would send him IS
to pay him for it.
In September had card from my
paying editor, saying: Send me the
creamiest and spiciest letter that you
can write for the December number.
Send me two or three, SO that l may
choose the best"
| sent him half a dozen papers on
different subjects, and the children,
who were now very much interested,
began to count the days and watch the
mails for the next $40. They would
have walked the whole four miles to
the post-otiice every day if l had per-
pitted it; as it was, we only sent in
every other day. They knew that we
ought not to expect an answer in less
than two weeks, but about the tenth
day they grew anxious and could talk
of nothing else. They talked it all over
and settled it among themselves that
as ! had been paid SO for three letters
| would in all probability be paid $50
for six, and as those were much better
perhaps it would be $50 or 500. am
not sure but if they had had much lon
ger to wait they would have run the
sum up to thousand, and as we rode
to town the twelfth day they said they
would not be bit surprised if mamma
got hundred dollars that very day,
and if she did we would buy phaeton;
our buggy was old and had no top to
it. the paint was all worn off, and the
lazyback was broken. and the dashboard
was tied up with wool twine. so that
1t was very shabby affair indeed. The
letter came that day. the name written
in red ink as usual, and | hastily tore
1t open and took the piece of paper
with the editors name printed at the
top-no check. no postal money-order,
nothing but this:
Sept. 28, lSSl.-Dear Madam: Your most eX.
celient batch OF manuscript received, | have
selected ''Stingy Mem for the December mum.
ber. Will keep the other for future use. Will
send RdSn,f,2 ySq some more money before Christmas
The children were disappointed-bu
l was not
Minnie went back to school and We
picked up hickory-nuts and sold them
to huy her shoes and dresses, for we
were very scarce OF money that year.
Generally sell about 800 worth of
bees and honey every year; but that
year there was no honey in the flowers
the nights most all the season through
being too cold to secrete honey.
One day when / was gathering hick-
ory-nuts | was sitting under a tree with
my lap full, hulling them, when at once
the thought came to me that ought to
write "love story" and l emptied
the nuts out of my apron and went to
the house and began it Immediately.
The name of the story was NAT and
Sarah Jane" 1t was about a boy and
girl that | knew, and in order that it |
should be true to life resolved to put |
nothing in that had not really hap
pened. l worked for weeks on that !
story. wrote and rewrote. 1 used |
quires and quires of paper; twice l |
the plot, the general incidents |
l changed about like men on a chess
board. l changed everything but the
name. One great trouble was that l |
did not know where to use capitals,
and | had timorous idea that if had |
q single capital in the wrong place it
would condemn the whole thing. At
last it was finished, and after copying
it all off on clean paper | sent it to a !
New York paper, fully expecting that
it would come back with little print
ed slip inside saying that it was ''una-
The days, and weeks, and months
passed. and it was the week before
Christmas. had been so busy trying
% make 81 do the work of 50 that l
had forgotten all about the manuscript.
Minnie was coming home Christmas
Eve, and was to bring some boys and
urls with her to stay over Christmas.
md we had the turkeys dressed, and
he pies baked. and the cranberry sauce
n the glass dish, and the hickOry-nut
lake. and the cocOanut cake, and the
and the preserved pears all
'eady.
About dark they came piling ina
iozen of them, with red cheeks and red
loses, laughing and chattering. l was
,lad to see them, and did not feel one
ut worried about things to eat | knew
here was plenty. After supper they
,layed old games. and among the rest
hey played post-otlice, and while was
usy in the kitchen putting things