Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-06-20

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Having heard from neither story at the L
end of fortnight, we concluded that
the stories had been accepted and were
waiting to bepubhshed before beng paid
for, and settled back quite eomposedly in
that conviction. Each day planned
ne" way to spend my money.
''Since we've leen so successful in
these articles, let US write some more"
SAID Madge; and we did.
This time she took love stor7, and
had West Point cadet elope with
Southern helress, and then both of them
went to the President to ask pardon, and
ne relnstated the cadet in the military
academy, at the same time allowing him
to board at the hotel with his bride, to
he envy Of the whole corps.
| told true story about a French
Canadian boy from Three Rivers who
came to our own town to earn money for
his widowed mother, and was crushed in
jam of logs, and how kind the rough
men were to him, and how they sent him
home to die because he longed SO to see
his smother once more
We wrote these stories rapidly and sent
them to the two next best magazines OF
our choice. Madge said we might Just
as well become known sat once to the
world of readers as to limit our scope to
the circle reached by any one periodical
In our imaginations we now had each
earned fifty dollars more, and as the pro-
ceeds seemed to accumulate so we'll we
decided to write all that We could find
time for.
1t made q serious inroad in my pocket
money to obtain the needed stamps to
send the articles away and also to pro-
vide for their being returned, and Madge
suggested that we save this last expense,
as it was evidently uncalled for. Then
graduation time came, and we had to
leave each other and the place we loved
SO much.
We debated whether to write to all
the various editors about our articles,
and notify them of our change of ad-
dress. but finally decided to leave word
with the postmaster at Wellesley and
| await results. had been sorcly tempted to
| run in debt for some graduating extrava-
gances, being sure l could pay for them
| out Of my ''magazine fund, as L now
called my expected fifty dollar payments,
| but had bravely resisted the temptation,
| as it was contrary to all my home train
| in94 by thinking how happy would be
later to repay my father for some OF his
| generous outlay on my pleasure.
When got back to Maine took our
village postmaster into my confidence
enough to persuade him to retain any
letters addressed to George Warner, for
delivery to myself alone.
One after another, in the course OF
the next six months, those various re-
! jected manuscripts found their way back
| TO Warmers Falls, and time after time
| my magazine fund" diminished CORE
| spondingly. Daily was more and more
thankful that had not left any debts to
be met from that prospective income.
A formal printed blank. stating with
courtesy that my article was not avail
able, accompanied each one but the one
OF the Canadian boy, to which the editor
added in a foot-note the words, sI
written with more care this would prob
ably be accepted somewhere. Try your
local paper. .
Mad@e wrote me thatA al of her pro
ductions had been used in due time to
light her CRATE fires, but she was con
vlnced that editors were time servers and
could not recognize genius unless big
name were signed to,an article.
| now felt very humble, but e-wrott
the stony suggested and sent it to oul
county paper with many misgivings The
editor wrote me kind note saying that
he could not afford to pay for contrlbu
tions, but he would be glad to publish
any good short articles sent him on thos'
terms, and soon had the inexpressiblt
pleasure Of seeing my story in print, anc
of sending copy ofS5the paper tt
Madge, who unselfshly satisfied my long
ing with her ready and ELUSIVE, though
truly genuine, sympathy and praise.
Then sent my first story. Love il
Georgian Bay" and another entitled
.'Thc Bride of Castle Chalheur," but th'
editor returned them both with note
saying that they were not adapted to hi
paper, and suggesting that ] send hin
several brief letters about college girl lif'
at Wellesley; and he added; writ
simply about things you know about.
l re-read all my silly, stilted stories
and, recognizing their utter freshness
put them into the kitchen fire. coult
not help letting tear fall as | though
Il the magazine fund with which
could never surprise my fathers enptle'
: purse. Some time afterward, however
wrote Madgc q long and true tale
The unexpected man had come TO pass
even in our town that | lad scorned
and the subject of my true tale wa
Love ia Warmers Falls. '-Frun
L13te's frustrated