The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-11-13
THE NOBLE ARMY OF THE REJECTED,
The Country Newspapers Represent the
Hedges and By Ways of literature.

tells how a starving and soulful moth
er, OF 1.-THE literary class" suddenly
lays aside her pen and takes to washing
n ironing for a living, soon becoming
quite afhuent. while her little boy has
the infinite satisfaction of Choking
like other boys" after his long suffer-
ing in clothes of 1.-The literary class"
The story is a laughable yet very
sound solution of the conundrum of
what shall be done by those fairly
good writer's who are shut out from
tho high parterres Of the best publish
ers. and who wW not turn their steps
toward tho Haunting swamps of the
cheap ''story-magazines' aud trashy
weeklies.
1t is doubtful comfort to be told that
many now successful writer's were, in
their early efforts, snuhbed within an
inch of their literary lives. We know
they succeeded. but their success be-
gan twenty or thirty years ago, and
meanwhile such general crop of fair
to-good writer's has sprung up that
opportunity for shining and isolated
prominence is overwhelmingly dim
snishcd. The writers of to-day are
ike waves upon an endless sea
each one full of life and sparkle, and
each one leaping no higher than his
fellows to the immortal blue. 1t is no
wonder that tho EDITORS regrets"
are on the increase, and that he makes
special studies of Il facile language
In order to, with one stroke, soothing
ly and completely dismcmbcr the
beaming and hopeful aspirant to his
favor.
How can the slaughter be stayed:
How are A and b and C-who really
write as well as some OF the accepted
ones-and X and Y and Z-who write
even better than n or two we might
m~ention--to exist? feeling that they
nave Il divine call to write and that
they mast publish. L ask them and
their worthy brothers to reflect
upon whether it is worth while to lin
ger around the crowded portals of the
great publishers tor the Inevitable,
however long delayed, "No." Is not
life too short? Even if the ono chance
in the several hundred thousand is
gained, where is the great triumph?
What is fame to us-pcrsoually?
Plenty Of Shakespcare's countrymen
can be found to-day who will stupidity
ask, "Shack Spcar-'oo be 'eeP" if
bis great name is mentioned to them.
Successful genius, iu saving his w
poem, will scissor ruthlessly into the
keen essay or tender roma nee on the
other side of tho page. The ''ma-ked
copy sent fondly to a friend will, ten
TO one. be wrapped around Johnny's
overshoes, or go to help line a carpet.
Nobody unless it be Il sweetheart. and
aswectheart of the rarest and most
sympathetic type, reads an authors
printed thought with the avidlty and
satisfaction he himself feels in de-
Vouring it. That ''stroke of genius
which rare old Thackeray natively APP
plaudcd in one of his own sketches,
was no doubt q little more .'taking''
to him than TO any other soul. 1t is al
lnquestionable fact that brain chill
dren are about as dear to their parents
as arc the ilcsh-and blood ones. We
all like-or would like-to see our
larlings, grandly dressed in fair type
and sumptuous bindings, handed out
from the chariots of lordly publishers.
Strive as VIC may to appear meek and
lowly, we cannot suppress every feel
of parental pride toward the on-look-
ing world. But how soon the on-look-
ing world forgets them! What a large,
unfortunate part of the world never
sees them at all! The fame OF our
successful writer's is brief enough. A
generation hence and our sly. bright
Howells, our artistic James. our flame
like Phelps, and the childre1's be-
loved Alcott and Stockton. will be
resting quietly and dustily upon their
shelves, and a new set of stars will
be shining. And tho little band of
accepted short story writer's whose
every pen-dip mean a gold dollar :
will be lying in their nameloss graves
in old magazines and yellow news.
papers, If not already ground into
pulp for fresh material, and hirellng
hands will seize them on rdireful house
cleaning days and consign them to
swift cremation, unread and unwcpt.
Is it worth while. then, to struggle
so wildly for publication. or to be
sourcd and cmbittercd and feel that
lifc's occupation is gone because the
grcatdoors of the crowned editors are
slammed fast? A thousand times, no!
Let the noble army Of the Rejected
look about them. and make the world
better near ut hand. If they cannot
sing in the marble halls of fame
which are, after all, very hollow halls
they can chirp hopefully and help
fully along the common hedges and
by-ways of life, and make people
gladder and better for thor chirp-
ing.
The country newspapers represent
the hedges and by-ways of literature,
and they are not so insignificant us the
Rejected may at first think. That
supposed to be Fortunate author before
whom the Century Company bows and
the Harpers veil their faces, may well
envy the closely-attentive and re-
tentivc audience that waits upon tho
country newspaper contributor. The
choice magazines and the new books
are, as a general thing. lightly read