The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1889-01-18
HOW HE FORGAVE HER

HI II
Those unfortunate people who
have W corrected their first
proof-sheet. or cut the leaves of their
first book, or on opening a news
paper hayeneversudd discovered
their first favorable review, can have
but a faint notion of what happiness
really isl Afterward one writes bet
ter, and probably looks on one s first
book as very poor stuff, to be forgot.
ten If possible, OF at least ignored on
aitle-page or advertisement sheet;
but when that book first appeared
what untold Joy it brought with it!
Many years ago | was one of those
perfectly happy persons. Ny first
book poems of course-do we not all
bVr'n with poetry, because it is so
easy, before we venture to attack
the difficult prose?) had lately APP
peared in a charmingly pale binding,
suggestive of hope and spring; my
first notices had been sweet, with
just that dash of acidity necessary
to make the draught more stimulat-
ing; amiable friends limited atarising
genius, and fond relatives began to
build airy palaces of %stupendous
Zig hit and uncertain foundation, when
-one morning | received q letter for
warded through my publishers. /
opened it in blissful excitement 1.-THE
-commonest things seems to veil fair
mysteries of delight when one is q
young poet1 and found a short note
and several poems.
"Dear sir" the letter ran, "your
book, Moses and Midges,' delightful
and original title, has been given to
me to review for the BlackpoolC hron-
icle, and l find.so much in it that is
sympathetic and truet to heinstincts
OF my own nature, that | venture to
write you as q friend to a friend,
feeling that we are kindred souls and
should become better known to each
other, that our hands may meet, as
our spirits already do. l venture
also to lnclOse one or two poems of
my own, suggested by your book.
They, with others, and some ESSAYS,
will shortly be published. May I
dedicate them to you?
Yours faithfully,
CYRIL BROWNRIGG."
"Dear sir" How delightful! He
took me for a man, as indeed most
eof my reviewers had done. Ny
feminine senses of mischief and mys-
terry were reused, and L determined I
would continue to be "dear sir" as
dong as possible; so | read the poems
and found they were very beautiful,
and far, far above anything l could
: do, and wrote q few lines to my I'M
known correspondent, telling him
how f1attered | should feel at his
~dedicating his book to me, and sign
ing myself by the non de plume l had
chosen, Earle Oakhurst.
Earle was really my own name,
having been given to me, l always
thought, as an attempt to impart a
dignified sound to my other two X
tremely insignificant ones. Amy
Smith. But when you said Amy
slowly it sounded rather literary, or
SO l fattered myself. Oakhurst was
the name of our house, SO for love of
1T 1 dubbed myself Earle Oakhurst,
and really it sounded quite i'm
portant and dignified.
A few days afterward | received halt
a dozen copies of the Blackpool
Chronicle containing chooses and
Midges." 1t was very hattering and
generous, with a sort of half tender
half humorous criticism which show
ed me the weakness of my work far
more clearly than the severest censure
would have done. Ofcourse, | wrote
to thank my reviewer, and after this
we constantly correspondent, our let
tiers gradually growing warmer and
more confidential.
I had never known what it was to
have a friend in perfect sympathy
with my own aims and objects in life,
and yet so far above me in intellect
and power-a man who evidently
never gave self or any personal ad-
vantage a single thought, but stead
lastly followed his ideal through
most unideal surroundings, for he
was poor he told me. and had to
work hard all day, having only the
.early morning and late evenings to
write those beautiful winged poems
which delighted me so much.
At last his book, "Stray
Thoughts, appeared, and at once
made a great sensation. 1t was dedi-
Gated to "My God-given brother and
friend, Earl O%akhurst." How proud
/ was as / read the words, and then
suddenly the terrible thought flashed
across my mind that | had deceived
him, and made him appear ridiculous
to every one who knew that / was a
woman. 1t was characteristic of him
that be had never inquired or trou-
bled about the sex of his friend, but
I'm his own great honesty had taken
III for granted that / should not de-
ceive him even in a trifie, and this,
alas, / now felt was no trif1e.
/ knew not what to do, so like
most weak people, did nothing. [
did not even acknowledge the copy
of "Stray Thoughts" he sent me,
with a letter ever more affectionate
than usual. / was at this time stay
ing in London with a married cousin,
and as my "Mosses and Midges"
had been somewhat successful, and
had managed to get talked
about, I had plenty of invita-
tions and enjoyed myselfthoroughly
meeting pleasant and congenial peo-