The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-09


pressing his real opinion of it.
''What do you think of it, Mr.. Gray?" she
finally asked.
Allen was at critical point. There sat
the authoress before him, holding the dear
ly beloved creature of her imagination in
her hand. He would as soon think of tell
ing doting mother that her child was ugly
as to express his real opinion of this story
to Miss Hopkins. She had influential
friends, persons Of great depth and acumen,
who had long since discovered wonderful
embryotic genius in Miss Leethy. To re-
ject her story was to insult their intelh-
gence and influence, while to publish it was
to make himself the butt of ridicule by all
thinking people 1t would require skillful
management to steer clear of his many
complications, but Allen was equal to the
emergency.
1--WE couldn't publish serial story in the
Western Republic now, Miss Hopkins he
said. Wouldn't it be better to send it to
Harper's?"
The reader may ask what lierm the Har-
per's had done him that he should wish to
inflict this punishment on them. But we
must remember that Allen was only hu-
man being in great. strait. Drowning men
will catch at straws, and Allen, like all
other men, was anxious to shift the load he
bore upon the shoulders of some one else.
Moving uneasily in her seat, Miss Hopkins
replied
s'I don't think it worth while to send this
to the Harper's, Mr.. Gray, they are too old
fogyish to even discover true genius, you
know. Like all the established publishers,
they have got to going in lines and ruts,
which new genius struggles to break away
from. One can't do it with those publishers.
None of the large magazines ever develop
any thing; they are simply able to buy the
jewels which some poor miner has dug up.
All of our successful authors make their
start on obscure publications."
81 believe you are mistaken, Miss Hop
kins. Harper's would read your manuscript
and decide fairly upon it,"
CT am sure they would not" she per-
sisted. eff they don't find this out of their
rut, they have some special favorite whose
manuscripts just ahead of mine, and they'll
send it back with printed apology that it's
rejection is not necessarily lack Of literary
merit, but because they have something
like it on hand. Those New York publishers
are not in sympathy with new authors"
Miss Hopkins was woman Of literary ex-
perience, and was not to be induced to give
Harper's the infinite pleasure of rejecting
her manuscript
I" / am sorry; but II really have not
space for your story at present, Miss Hop
kins,' said Allen. Being able to put but one
Interpretation on his refusal, she asked:
{" Are you going to commence one Of Mr..
Barnes stories!'
'No, we can not possibly use serial at
present." he answered.
'Whyw
because our people think that in order
to build up this town all space possible
should be devoted to it. Besides, the fall
election is coming on, and the canvass will
Miss Hopkins looked very much disap-
pointed, but after few moments she said:
Can you use poem occasionallyg"
81 think / can."
This only partially repaired her disap-
pointment. She declared the people of Tur-
ley's Point must be very ignorant to refuse
House on the Hill," and bewailed the fate
hand of prejudice.
She took her manuscript and left the
Office with look of disappointment and
heavy heart. We console ourselves that
Miss Hopkins is not the only author who
has met with disappoin ntments.
Her visit had temporarily led Allen
Gray's mind from the subject which had
become SO painful, but when she was gone
it returned with double force, and all his
efforts to forget Bertha, by plunging into
business, were unavailing. That beautiful
being who had grown SO dear to his heart
was always present.
"Oh, Bertha, Bertha will this crushing