Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-08
IN A PUBLISHERS OFFICE.
The Trouble Hc Experiences with ~
be Writers. 5A8H
There will doubtless new,

worlds greatest enemy. The publisher,
looking at the money value OF a child OF
fancy, attaches no Importance to the
authors deep love for the offspring;
and the author, thrilled with the eX-
cess of his own sentiment, looks upon
the publisher as brutal buyer OF
souls-as Satan that would toss an
angel upon the bloody slab OF meat
market.
was sitting in the private Office Of a
publisher, assuring him that my book
could not help being the literary sensa-
ton of the day, when a tall Young
woman entered. 1t seemed to be u
sort OF free-fora all day-a day when
every one might come in and offer a
book OF present advice The publisher
had patiently listened to me with a
smile that called me poor fool, and l
was on the eve OF losing my temper
when the young woman entered. He
eyes We're bright with the dew of fone.
hope and her face was flushed with
suppressed Joy. She held Il bundle Of
MS. pressed close to her bosom.
Il have novel," she began. but the
cold smile on the publishers face
| CulSGu Ilet w ilGSllilC
ayes, go on.
II have novel that / know you will
be delighted with" She began to I'M
wind string. II have worked on it so
carefully that" The cold smile froze
the warm current of her words.
We'll, leave it, and [ will submit it
to our reader"
Her face underwent change. Dark
ening ashes had fallen on the glowing
coal Of hope. Wont you please ex-
anime it?" she asked.
ooh, haven't the time and doubt
less couldn't tell anything about it
even if 1 should take all the after
noon"
"But let me read you passage.
II really haven't time to listen to it. :"
ooh, it Won't take but moment"
she pleaded.
Well, go ahead" he answered, sigh
ing. The young woman cast quick
glance at him and thus began:
The sun was slowly going down be-
hind q western hill"
Hold on moment!" he interrupted.
THE sun usually goes down slowly,
don't it? don't know that the sun is
given to freaks of any sort, CT that it
goes down fast at times and then
changes its mind and goes slow for
awhile"
WELL" she replied, with the merest
suggestion Of gasp, Il will leave out
the slowly"
1T would be good idea, I think,
he rejoined. Hold Oh; there is an
other thing that want to speak about.
You say that the sun was going down
behind western hill"
"Yes. Is there anything wrong about
that?"
mo, not particularly wrong. but did
you ever see the sun go down behind
an eastern hill? Now, 1 don't know
much about the sun, except that it is
pretty hot sometimes, but it strikes me
that being of regular habits, it always
goes down in the west"
"Oh, can I leave that out, tool" she
exclaimed, swallowing a lump that had
once been sweet vanity, but which was
now bitter disappointment.
"All right, go ahead"
"The sun was going down." she went
on, "and the chickens were thinking
about going to roost, when dust down
the road proclaimed the fact that q
horseman was approaching. The"
Hold on, please. We really cannot
tell what the chickens were thinking
about. They may have been thinking
about going to roost, still, they may
have been thinking about going out
and enjoying few more scratches in
the garden, but we will let that 90.
But there is one thing that I'd rather
you'd make a little clearer. You say
that dust down the road proclaimed
the fact that horseman was approach
ing. Now, how do you know that it
was not muleman instead of horse
man? I don't know much about
country life, but I have been told that
a mule kicks up quite as much dust as
a horse, and that mules dust pro-
claims about as loud as horses dust"
She bit her lip, remained silent for a
few moments and then said
Il don't think it makes any difference,
sir. Gentlemen do not often ride
mules"
ooh, it was g. gentleman on a horse,
was it?"
Eyes"
"But the dnst didn't proclaim that
fact. Why don't you say that the dust
down the road proclaimed the fact that
a gentleman came on horseback %
She began to tie up the MS. Il see
that You do not care to prirt books that
are full of thought and suggestive fancy.
will 60 elsewhere and one day YOU
will regret that you had not more in
sight"
Just as she went out puffy man en-
tered. II have book that you may
have as cheap as dirt, said he.
"What sort of book is it?"
"A world-beater, that's what sort of a
book it is. I have worked on it for
three years and now propose to sell it
for five thousand dollars. What DO you
say?"
Il say good morning, sir
"What, you don't want it?'
"No."
do you understand your business,
sir?"
Il hope So.
"You may hope so, but sec that you