The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-04-05


II the girl He tried for long time
to give his wife some concrete idea of
this central figure and the exquisitely
sympathetic way In which she had
been treated All ut once, however a
flash of revelation and surprise lighted
Mr.. Dewey's face, and he exclaimed:
II declare! Come to think of it, she
was exactly like our Vida-looked like
her, talked like her, thought like her,
acted like her, and had the same
sweet, helpful, generous disposition,
combined with an idealizing and poet
ical way of looking at things. If you
can only make vivid, characteristic
picture of Vida, you will equal or sur
pass the authors delineation of his
heroine"
"Hush!'' whispered Mrs. Dewey.
vida is in the diningroom setting the
table for breakfast"
What of it?" demanded Mr.. Dewey.
"She ought to be thankful to get into
literature--especially under the auspices
of two as brilliant writer's as will pe
represented in All in Nutshellr :"
And he nudged his wife slyly. The
fact is, Mr. Dewey had such unbounded
confidence in his better half that if
she had announced her intention of re-
juvenating the moon, he would have
joyfully and unhesitatingly indorsed
her ability to do So The scheme of re-
producing "All in a Nutshell" even
verbatim ct literatim Tor practically
SOY already began to look entirely
feasible, and Mr.. Dewey's spirits rose
accordingly.
Sweet little Vida Dewey! She was en-
tirely unconscious of being put into a
story; and yet she wondered sometimes,
during those days in which her aunt
of Mr.. IS heroine, why the keen
gray eyes followed her every movement
SO closely, and why for hours Mrs.
Dewey would keep her talking about a
thousand romantic things which had
never before been discussed between
them
At length the story was completed.
and one evening, when Vida had gone
to singing school, Mrs Dewey read it,
with palpitating eagerness, to her hus-
band.
wife's voice had died tremulously away
upon the last syllable of the reproduc-
ton, "your woman's intuition has made
you absolutely clarvoyant! Why, you
have reproduced the story so faithfully
that / could have said, did / not know
the circumstances, that you had found
and were reading the original manu-
script" Mr.. Dewey was so elated, so
rejoiced, that he took his wife in his
arms and huRged her; an impulsive ac-
tion which called up "reminiscences
pensate her for all the pangs of author.
ship.
1t was daring, thing to do--perhaps
not altogeth err ethically excusable; but
Payson Dewey, instead of sending the
reproduction to the author Of "All in
Nutshell" reported favorably upon the
story TO the assistant editor Qf the Mid.
land, who, In the absence Of his chief
aIpoh 4 summer Vacation trip, fead the
manuscript-new to him-lil lked It also,
and passed 1t on to be put in type. Theff
aut1iof that KS lost manuscript m had
been discovered, accepted. and would
appear in due time in the Midland
Magazine.
IT was November before the story ap-
peared. The author read it. as he
habitually read his own productions,
with entire satisfaction and a degree
of pleasure quite consonant with an
after-dinner cigar. -.1
Indeed, All in NUTSHELL proved
to be more gratifying to him than he
had expected Marion is exquisitely
sketched," he said to himself II knew
while was writing the story that
without distinct purpose, perhaps-1
was painting my ideal of maidenhood-
the girl should like to marry, if l
could ever find her Gad!" he ex-
claimed, running down the page, what
touch that is! 1t really doesn't seem
possible that could have put it quite
so neatly and to the manner born,'
with my merely theoretical knowledge
of women"
A second reading of the story plunged
the famous young man into still
more skeptical admiration of himself
What lucky thing it was that the
man Dewey persevered until he found
the lost manuscript" he cried. This
is really the best thing ever did-this
picture of Marion. Confound it, though!
did | do it? | couldn't have known
some of these things about girls unless
dreamed them. However, I'll settle
it. I'll find that first draft, if it's under
this roof. am bound to know wheth-
er really do know what ] seem to
know about W omen or notr'
About week after the appearance
of "All in NUTSHELL in the Midland
Magazine, Payson Dewey received this
note from the author of "All in Nut
SHELF:
MY DEAR Mr. DEwEY-I have found the
original draft of "All in a Nutshell" and hay-
ing compared 1t with the story as it appears in
the November Midland find that the two re.
semble each other about as closely as paper
snowstorm in a theater resembles Emersons
immortal picture OF q winter night Whoever
reproduced my story has done II with o master
hand and ! congratulate myself aud-my un-
known collaboration. Now know that the de-