Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-27
,,.o,, wor,d he below the death pressure

current would be below the death pressure.
This l. annie reward for my struggles
during the past two years, and ! feel that
safety 10 human life from this invisible
and noiseless source Of danger Will at last
be secured.
CHRISTMAS LrTEnATCBE.
While all the world il preparing 10 be gay
M Christmas approaches the magazine edi-
tor alone views the coming holiday with
something akin TO dismay. He knows that
for months ahead the mails will be loaded
down with manuscripts destined 70 De
placed upon his desk. He can already reel
in anticipation his eyes aching and bis BRAN
swimming at the contemplation ofthep piled
M intellect which he must sCTutlnize IN
the hunt for Christmas literary novel
tics and, incidentally. for the coming great
American novelist II is hunt that goes
on necessarily. and never Is IT 40 lively az
during the weeks that precede Decoration
day. Thanksgiving. Nashlngton's BIRTH
day, and Christmas; for the poets, essay
ists. and novelists, the writers OF short sto-
rjes and of the serials that vibrate through
forty or fifty chapters Of concentrated
agony, all seem by common impulse 70 Sc
lect the holiday season as their best time
for making an attack on the editorial cita-
del.
AN oLD-FAsHIoSED HOLIDAY.
Christians has literature Of its own"
said an editor whom the writer called upon
the other day and asked how great maya
zine made it, preparations for the old
fashioned holiday. It is the focal season
toward which oil others seem TO converge
If one were TO Judge from the mass on hte-
nature that comes III from every quarter to
the magazines for months before Christ
mas he might conclude that the writers
bad been saving their ideas for O whole
year.
1t is impossible 10 guess al the num-
Der Of manuscripts We receive from various
sources Of which we cannot make use:
Doubtless one reason for the very general
desire among authors TO have their pro-
ductions appear at Christmas, in preference
80 all other seasons, IS the TACT that II IS
the buying season, the time of gifts when
evervbody's wares has the chance Of q
market. We make our arrangements for
the holidays a long way ahead. You see
the Christmas market IS the best OF
the year for all kinds Of publications.
Still, we don't make a special feature
of exclusively Christmas Literature as
some do. But, Of course, we are de-
lugcd with manuscripts, and We have TO
examine them and see whether there arc
not some of sufficient excellence to war
rant their use. We arc usually deluged
with Christmas poetry, too. most OF
which, / am sorry to say, for tho writer's
sakes, is unavailable, as we have almost
always two or three poems suited to the
OCCASION on hand. Experience has taught
us that it is the best way 10 arrange our
attractions ourselves IN good season and
irrespective OF what may come IN from
outsiders
The tendency Of all popular literature
nowadays is assigned contributions ot "a
special character that convey 10 the reader
much more detailed and accurate lntorina-
tion on any particular subject than would
otherwise be the case.
A TALENTED VIRGINIA WRITER.
"Have you made any discoveries Of new
talent during the YEAR," was asked.
YES - asansWered hesitatiDCly. Amid
the vast quantity of material sent to Us we
have found something fIOm one really
talented young woman. She Is young
Virginian. The Christmas number Will
print rather notable story from her pen
u sort of native American novel. It Is q
thrilling tale Of the strife between the In
dams and the palefaces ct the time Of tho
first settlement If Virginia. We think he
is a remarkable writer and that We have
found something Of literary wonder.
is this the only discovery Of new literary
blood?"
II think go. There are one or two others,
bat Of minor importance. About exclu-
sivcly Christmas literature, we don't get 50
much Of that sort az one might expect.
With an array of established regulations
there are small chances for the outside
contributor. After reading the list one is
not so much disposed TO wonder at the
piled-up shelves one sees in the ante-rOom
of magazine editors, whereon the efforts OF
unframed but ambitious young writer's
find rest III dusty oblivion. Occasionally,
it may be. the dirt and cobwebs are brush
ed of and a stray manuscript Is resuTect-
ed and gilded with the brief glory OF the
types. but this is q rare occurrence. IN
less it possesses interest with intrinsic
literary merit it generally perishes still
born. Experienced writers rarely help to
swell this funcrcal pile. They know the
peculiarites of the magazine field and act
ocpordiurlv