The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-19
IT WAS ALL IN A NAME
YET MARK TWAIN AND HARDY WRITE
STORIES THAT ARE DECLINED.
The Idea Seems to Prevail That Masculine
Names Are Better When Attached to
Manuscripts Than Feminine-But the
Assumption Is Probably Erroneous.

Names Are Better When Attached to
Manuscripts Than Feminine-But the
Assumption L. Probably Erroneous.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Jan. 13-Miss Mary Mather.
who has been spending some time in Eu-
rope with the artist Hennessy and his wife,
who is Miss Mather's sister, has had very
interesting experience recently, which goes
to odisprove.somewhat the recent comments
of some OF those who have been associated
in the management of magazines that every
manuscript offered is judged on its merits
and the value of name is incidental rather
than of first importance.
Miss Mather had, before she went to Eu-
rope. written more or less, her work being
highly esteemed by competent critics, but
not of the popular nature which appeals 10
great reading public. During her sojo0rn
abroad Miss Mather wrote with great pains
the manuscript of longer work than any
she has hitherto composed, and 1t was OF
fered to numerous magazine editors ana
publishers, her own name being attached to
the manuscript. II was as persistently and
regularly rejected as was the manuscript OF
Charlotte Bronte's story, Jane Eyre"
Some one competent to judge who had
read the work in manuscript, friend OF
Miss Mather's, advised her to send 1t
again, this time with = nom de plume, and
to take for such nom de plume the name OF
a man. She did SO. The manuscript was
instantly accepted, and the book Is about
ready to leave the printers hands Miss
Mather's friends in this country do not
know whether this work is story, ro-
nance or what. but the inference from her
other writings is that it is story of con-
siderable length.
Her sister, who is now a guest OF Mary
Hailock FOote. whom many believe to be
the most brilliant Of American women
who write fiction, and who is almost as ar
tistic painter in oils and water colors as
she is with the pen, has the literary in
stinct, but has yet contributed nothing
which will suggest to the world that prom
ise which her friends believe that her abil-
ity really suggests.
1t was with a masculine nom de plume
that two of the greatest writers of fiction
the world has ever seen sent their works
forth to the public George Sands identity
was known, and it was also known that
she had taken that nom de plume because
she had first worked in collaboration with
Jules Sandou. When George Eliot's earlier
and best stories were published, there was
great excitement in Great Britain over
them, the ablest men there, with one ex-
ception, never doubling that the writer
was man Charles Dickens, however, in
letter published in the biography of Dick
ems written by his friend Forster, declared
it to be his opinion that the writer of ''Silas
Marnerp and the clerical sketches was
woman notwithstanding the nom de plume.
Some years ago the editor of The Atlantic
Monthly received some manuscripts from a
writer who signed very masculine name.
These were accepted, and when printed
proved that Mr.. Howells' judgment was
accurate. For several years the magazine
published stories by this writer, the checks
in payment therefor being sent to the ad-
dress appended to the masculine name. Ono
day Mr. Howells was asked if he would not
like to meet this author, and he went to the
house of friend expecting to see vigorous,
active young man. But, to his astonish-
ment, when he was presented TO Charles
Egbert Craddock he found himself in the
presence of a slight, girlish looking and
delicate featured woman, and for some
time be could not be persuaded that an in
nocent jest was not concealed behind this
ceremony 1t has always been a question
whether, had the manuscript been first sent
signed by Miss Murfree's own name, Mr..
Howells would have doubted whether any
woman could have written those stories.
He was imposed upon in an innocent way
enough and without modification such as
befell another editor of that magazine some
years before.
The question whether names carried
weight with articles was raised at dinner
in Boston attended by literary men, and it
was decided to make practical test. A
poem written by James Russell Lowell
was copied by person who had the hand
writing of a schoolboy. That poem was
sent anonymously to the editor of The At
lantic and by him was rejected, and it was
with something of modification that he
discovered that he had been the victim OF
that experiment. 1t was at a time when a
poem of Russell Lowell's would have been
accepted with delight by any magazine ed
itor in the United States.
1t is said of Bret Harte that before he won
his great fame he had sent the manuscript
of several short stories to editors of differ
ent magazines only to find them promptly
rejected. Afterward these same editors be
sought him to send sketches at his own
terms, and he did so, furnishing these edi-
tors the identical manuscripts which they
had before rejected.
Mr.. Howells mas recently written that it
is mistake to suppose that editors are
primarily influenced by common names.
and yet recent issues Of magazines disprove
that statement. One OF the greatest oi
American reviews in making its announce
ments prints the names of its contributors /
in its public advertisements in large letters /
and the subjects of which they treat in In. /
conspicuous type, and one of the creates, |
publishing houses in the world has adopted
the practice Of publishing the names Of the (.
authors conspicuously and the titles Of
their works inconspicuously. 1t Is for |
that reason perhaps that one Of the wisest /
of American literary men, when recently /
appealed to by an ambitious young author /
to know what be should do in order 70 win |.
literary fame, was told, GO and make a /
fortune, invent something or make seusa- /
tion in politics, and then write and you /
will find yourself famous" Yet it must /
I've said that during the year 1873 one story /
by Thomas Hardy and some contributions i
by Mark Twain were declined By certain /
American est:tors L J. EDWARDS.
The Well of Serpents-