The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-08-27

And so, my boy, you want to write
for the papers? And for the maya
zines? And by and by for the reviews I?
Well, you are right on your way to that
literary Canaan. If you have no other
trade, profession or occupation. that is
the very reason why you should write
for the papers; for to be successful
carpenter or good shoemaker is the
gift of fortune; but to write for the pa
pers comes by nature. / am glad that
you realize this important fact. You
would not think of going into a cob
bler's shop and sitting down to make q
shoe, when you knew that you couldn't
tell a welt awl from a shoe peg; but
you will naturally drift into writing
for the papers, Indeed, you will my
son, and you will also naturally drift
against the bank, or upon o sand bar,
or against snag. You don't want to
naturally drift into anything. You
want to get up steam or put out the
sweeps and pull like a pair of steers
for some definite point. Then you'll
get there. But if you go to naturally
drifting" You must remember that all
the driftwood lodges on the banks
when the freshet is over and the river
goes down. Journalism isn't a trade, /
know; every man cannot be taught to
write poetry, or novels, or even humor-
GUS sketches. But 1 do think you
must have some earnest purpose and
decided bent in that direction before
you can hope for success. Naturally
drifting" will only carry you down
stream and over the dam.
And you had hard time getting into
the papers? All, didn't / know you had
long before you told me? My dear boy.
/ have been younger than / am, and
now / am a great deal older than /
was; but / have seldom seen q man
who didn't have hard time getting in
to the papers. The first story / ever
wrote was for the press--here it is, in
the original MS, "Only a Tramp"
And here is my second effort, 1.-THE
Machinist's Story" And here, too, is
the pleasant little note from the editor
of one of the magazines to which j sent
those literary gems: 1.-THE inclosed
contribution is returned, with the
thanks Of the editors. So many manu-
scripts are received that it is often i'm
possible to assign reasons for, ETC., ETC.,
an article is not needed by this maya
zine it necessarily is considered def
cient in merit. Many contributions
must be returned for reasons which
have no connection with their literary
value" How do / know the formula
so we'll? My son 1 learned by heart
from often reading it. No, those two
gems were not published that year.
Nor, while reason holds her throne in
this distracted globe, will they ever be
published. keep them in their own
sacred pigeon-hole to remind me that L
once was poor myself, "lest being tied
up with PRIDE" should @fall into con-
domination of the devil" as we'll as of
the editor. The gods have been good
to me, and have blessed me far beyond
nv deserts; for many years fortune has
turned 10 me shining face. wreathed.
with q smile ike grape vine; and yet,
even unto this day, my son, it not infre-
quently happens that some editor, with
many and profound regrets, thrusts
that two-edged note into my soul, and
then twists it.
And yet, dearly beloved, / do not
hate him for it. pity him sometimes
when think what good thing he is
losing; am sorry the poor man stands
in his own light. But am not angry.
Oh, no. send the MS. off to another
ed tor. This is the only way, oh youth
full, inexperienced, unfedged Shak
speare, you can get into the papers.
Go from editor to editor, and when you
have exhausted the list, read the sketch
to your wife; how she will praise it,
and soothe your wounded spil it, God
bless her, and then begin ut the top
and go through the editors again, and
though the editor may regard not men
nor poets, yet because you trouble him
he may print your piece, lest by your
continual coming you may drive him
mad. But if every one of them per-
sist in declining with thanks" then
you must bow to the final decision of
Rhadamanthus who sitteth upon the
editorial throne, and judgeth the manu-
script of all the world, and setteth
aside the short stories and most of the
first attempts for the fuel department.
When Rhadamanthus condemns your
sketches to the hottest realms of
Tartarus he does so reluctantly and
pityingly. He does not rejoice in your
Disappointment, because he was once q
literary tramp himself. 1t is only the
very young editor-and the young man
who has been writing up dog fights
and runaways on the paper two weeks
always calls himself an "editor"-who
delights most savagely in roasting un-
fortunate contributors. The real editor
is always looking for something new,
original, striking. And, if you send
him such sketch, in it goes, ninety
nine times in a hundred. Yes, always,
because if one editor makes a mistake
in Judging your sketch another one
will reach for it gladly. Nothing pleases
an editor better than to discover a new
genius. But white crows, although
they do exist, are very rare.
Fay? For your earliest sketches?
Oh. my son, these are the weapons
with which you practice. Rejoice and
be exceedingly glad if you can find
some gentle-hearted editor who will
print them even for a very small sum
to him in hand paid. And lift up your
voice in singing and make joyful noise
| r. Il.