The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-02-11
A LITERARY TALK.
BY LUKE SHARP.

l BY LUKE SHARP
 "Not available" is the general form of refusal instead of declined with thanks" ''Not available" is about as truthful q phrase as could be em- ployed. An article or poem may be declined, not because the editor thinks it bad, as the author invaribly seems to imagine, but simply for the reason that it is "not available," either be- cause so many articles are ahead of it in point of time, or because the sub- ject is not one that would interest the readers of that particular paper or for any one of dozen other reasons. In the magazines, for instance, it is not wonderful that many manuscripts come back marked with the words "not available" I was told once in the office of the Ctntury by a gentle man connected with that excellent periodical that they had in the safe about $100,000 worth of manuscript that had already been paid for, but which up to that date had been mot available." The wonder is that any thing is ever accepted in a magazine office. The editor of the English Illustrated Magazine likes intending contributors to write to him and tell him the scope and subject of the ar- ticles they may propose sending in. Then he can generally tell them before hand whether or not the contributor stands any chance of being accepted. The editor of the London Graphic plainly states that he doesn't want any stories sent him. He contracts for what he wants and pays a good price for them.
 There is in London a weekly jour- nal that has large circulation. The proprietor published it to make money, which is, after all, the usual desire of proprietors. He made money. He owned town residence and a country residence, and when he wanted lunch he did not go to the penny restaurant for it. We'll, some philanthropic person persuaded him that he was the trustee ofa great power that ought to be used for the eleva- tion of the masses, and so he contracted with q celebrated author for great and elevating story, and in various ways improved his paper, making it hightoned, indeed. The result was that the circulation dropped until it almost vanished, and he hastened back to the old style. The story is now standard book of fiction, but it was not a good newspaper story. The journal did not recover it's lost circu- lation for years. That story was, therefore, "not available" for that kind of a paper if the editor had only known it. "Adam Bede," for in- stance, is, perhaps, about the very highest type of a novel, but it would be the poorest kind of narrative to run in weekly installments. "Mr. Barnes, of New York;" would be much better tor that purpose. Some lucky authors can write first-class novel that is a good one for newspaper pur- poses as well-Clark Russell, for in- stance, or Robert Louis Stevenson. For a magazine different character of story is required. A person can not very well remain in state of ten- sion for month, although he may be able to bear up under the strain for a week. A good example of suita- ble magazine story is "Indian Sum- mer," by Howells, or Paul Patoff," by Marion Crawl ford.
 Talking of Towels reminds me of a coincidence. In the February num- Der of Haype,'s Magazine he has de- lightfully written sketch of his recent sojourn in Switzerland. Reading it makes me yearn for Switzerland again. I must confess l would like to meet MT. Howells in Switzerland. I would like to meet him sometime when he was just tired out trying his foreign languages on the natives and when he was longing for anybody to talk Eng fish to. We could kind of meet on equal terms then, and I believe we should have first-rate time. I would give MT. H. some valuable points on taking pictures of Swiss scenery with a camera, and perhaps he might give me hint or two about how to take them so charmingly with the pen. But to come to the coincidence. He says, speaking of certain pickled mushrooms they had there: "I have had dreams from those pickled mushrooms, which, if could write them out, would make my fortune as 8 romantic novelist"
 Robert Louis Stevenson evidently ought to have had that dream, and } the strange thing is that instead of