Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-09-24

from this dreary struggle for daily bread!
Her whole soul rose up in passionate yearn-
ing as she sat there in the early dusk
and looked out upon the rain beaten streets
and her own gloomy future.
Suddenly a thought came into her mind
why should she not voice the yearning of
the soul within her? Why not relieve her
heart by opening the flood gates of feel
ing.-by uttering the sad romance of her
crippled youth? Could she not make a
tale as sweetly pathetic as that of the
idealist whose hopeless quest" had
charmed her while she toiled? 1t was q
new thought, a new aspiration, and one,
toe, She thought, which was possible,
which might be actual.
Nina put on her faded wrap and trudged
home, that evening, through the rain, with
a lighter heart than she had known for o
long time. There was something roman
tic in the thought of putting her life into
words-of making story out of the drear-
lest of dull realities. She wondered that
she had not thought of it before. Perhaps
there was something true and noble and
beautiful in this dull reality, after all
perhaps she might make it seem SO to her.
self. by bringing to light the uncertain
warnings of her inmest heart.
| Two weeks few by: and one afternoon
the editor of the .Nens was surprised TO
see Nina Kelsey step timidly into his
! room and lay down roll of manuscript.
"If you please, SIR" she said, cit is
| little story that have written. and would
you be kind enough to look it over and see
if it is good enough for the Ncacs?'
| The editor laughed good naturally
as he picked up the neatly-written sheets,
and leaned back in his chair to read them.
Nina stood nervously waiting. with down.
cast eyes. and toying with the fringe of
her wrap.
"Why. my dear girl!' exclaimed the
editor, as his eye ran down the last sheet.
and his pencil instinctively flew back to tho
margin of the first with the magic inscrip-
ton. written expressly for the Ncms"-
"ths is fine, really tine do not know
as | ever read a sweeter little story. ] am
proud to use it in the -Ncws, and | hope
you will write us some more likeit. Every
body will be wondering who M is. 1t
| will be Just the thing for Saturdays fourth
page. Allow mo to congratulate you. Miss
Kelsey! You will make an author one of
| these days."
Nina flew up stairs with tears of JOY and
| gratitude in hcl eyes. She had not en-
pected such cordial praise and encourage
ment from Mr.. Beckwith. Was her little
| rtorv 1bor raoll1, on erood2 tt ~ lo1 ,,,.
merit she knew it must be the merit of
earnestness and reality, for she had put
her whole soul and life and longing into it,
and there were stains upon the paper where
her tears had fallen. 1t was a labor of
love for her to put it into type, and when
on Saturday morning it appeared, in the
clear-faced bourgeois, holding the place of
honor i'll the literary columns of the Neus,
she was so overjoyed that she could scarcely
keep from telling her secret to every one
she met. She wondered if people would
read it, and if she would ever hear from it
again? Somehow, she felt as though some-
thing of good would result from it some
thing more than the mere delight of having
given it form, and having uttered through
it the yearning Of her soul.
Thus another week passed, and Nina
toiled at her case, as usual, from morning
till night, but with q new joy and cheerful
ness. 1t seemed Us though she had in
some sense indicated her work, ennobled
it, and beautifed it, by identifying her
deepest life and longing with it's out
ward surroundings. 1t was, therefore,
| ~, eko,~ 90 k1,ok,
morning, living on her case, letter ad-
dressed in strange handwriting to M,
author of "A Day of Life Care of Editor
of Daily Neus, Summerville, Conn.," 1t
was the story again-perhaps!
She tore open the envelope with trembling
haste, and read as follows:
| DEAR MADAM:-For know that "A Day of
Life" was written by masculine hand-per-
NIT me to congratulate you upon your beautiful
portrayal of what is to me the ideal life of
maidenhood-noble, self sacrificing, pure, low
ing lovely, and unassuniDg. It has been nv
hope to meet with such life, through nll nv
years of searching and waiting. But hitherto it
has been only a dream. Until read your story,
believed that there was no such thing as NV
ideal. But now am sure that there is, and
that have found it at last-in yourself Pardon
me IOr pfeSum1nS 20 say that con read the
writer in the story. You are the one whose
lovely life of sef-sacrifce and devotion to duty.
while surrounded by temptations without, and
moved by yearnings within, is there portrayed.
Noble girl!-believe me, I appreciate your
longings. while admire and reverence your de.
votcdness to duty aud to purity. If the friend.
ship Of one who has spent some of the best years
Of his youth seeking for the qualities in woman
which your secret transcript of life reveals. can
be of any moment to you, it is most revcrently
and humbly offered. wonder il you have ever
read story entitled "A Hopeless Questl"
Something in your writing leads me to think You
have. If so, you will know, in part. the reason
why make bold to address you. A reply from
your hand would be more, far more than dare
ask, and yet not more than I dare hope. II
nothing else, will you not civily tell me whether
you ever road the story have mentioned? II
was FIRST published in the New York, and
was extensively copied. Your story met
with while travelling in railway car. 1t WIS
credited to the Sommerville Comm Ne,Us Nav /
expect your kind favor soon?
Very respectfully yours,
RICHARD FAxoN,
Author Of "A Hopeless Quest >
New York, II. Y.
But why make short story long? Mina's