Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-06-20
NY MAGAZINE FUND
BY +. G.. RICE. !.

-Four months before | was graduated
from Wellesley College, some years ago,
] VAS troubled with the perplexing
problem Of how TO get a very nice gradu-
atlng dress at Il very low cost, for my
father, II village merchant in Maine,
could III afford to spend more money
than was absolutely necessary for my
regular expenses.
Il do wish | could think Of some way
to earn the money for my DRESS" l said
one day to my inseparablc friend, Madge
Bennett
why don't you write stories for the
papcrs:' she asked, impulsively.
"What papers, said l with surprise
"Why, any papers-all papcrs--maga-
zines, quarterlies, literary syndicates-
anything or anybody she answered,
sprnging to her idea in her usual enthu-
siastic way
''But I've no talent for writing,s 1
protested.
"Yes, dear, you must have" she
urged, efTusivcly. You don't know
how often I've stood enraptured to hear
you 90 on telling some yarn that knew"
| kissing me fervently> ''hadnt word
of truth in it. Oh, know you could be
great novelist Think of being pointed
out 10y strangers on the street as the cele-
brated Millicent Warner, Of Warmers
Falls. What rapture.'
But what could [ write a story
about said I, ignoring her little refec-
| ton on my veracity at times.
"Write Il love story. Everybody likes
| them, she answered
''But I've never had a love affair, and
| | never can have" | added, mournfully,
"for there ism q man IN my town that
| I'd look at for a lover, and you know
! I've cot to STAY at home while the other
! girls take their turn away at school.
know its predcstinated that | shall be
an old maid, but | don't like the out
look. said |, telling 4 literal truth for
once at least.
"'Tisnt Of the least consequence, y
Madge said, encouragingly. People
never need to know about the subjects
they write about Why, all the books
about the> encouragement Of children are
written by old maids, and do you sup
pose that the people who write about
Lord This and Lady That ever saw real
lord, even With an opera glass?'
Il don't know said with simple
ity.
.'Why. Of course not, she ratified on
"half the stories of travel and adventure
are made up by men who have never
Of IS Indeed
the less YOU really know about 4 subject
the better off YOU are, you see, because
you re not hampered by facts and YOU
imagination can have full scope"
'I'm afraid I couldn't succeed tha
way, | said, muslngly.
lnieed You could, she still asserted
"Last year my cousin, Joe Schuyler
who always has lived in New York ant
was ,ust graduated at Coumbia-no
even !. country college, like Harvard
took charge of the agricultural depart
mcnt OF II city paper While the regula
oditor went to Europe for three months
ana be cot along finely. He just hunte
over the rural exchanges and rewrot
their articles, using little ditferer
wording, that was all.
''Didnt lie make any blundersT
asked.
no, not in the paper, she salc
..but he did get into bit of scrap'
for a farmer wrote him asking for SON
explicit directions for using ne
remedy for pip in chickens, and as Jt
IS fall Of fun, he wrote the farmer
private letter sending him prescriptlo
about like this:
Stumpus woodus. regular size.
/ Tatehetus, one Application.
6 Shake we'll before using.
IA4, Is an absolute AMI instantaneous cur
i So The farmer drove of tive miles
n tie nearest town, t. the drug stor
where the clerk assured him he q be-
tgited with and that it was all loh