Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-11
AN UNEVENTFgL LIFl,
fNew York Times,

Brenda LiscOmb, pallid and fragile,
r,sde a pathetic picture as she sat at her
5cek in the meagre city apartments
U,nich she and her brother occupied, the
wore pAthetic for the lack OF any inten-
,ion For. as Up" and ''B'' are quite
sin,uar consonants. 80 just little self
Consciousness will suffice for the produce
,,on OF bathos. But Brenda. while trou-
HE'D about many things, was too ac-
customed to the lot TO claim either COM
,oiseration or interest. one who Is used
20 the fog misses not the sun. and since
,boir parents had died and left Harry 10
her charge, Brenda had had no occasion
10 seek the shady side. For Ave years
now she had struggled for assistance.
and had succeeded in existing; barely
more. though she had worked so siren
.,usiy that the traces OF care and toll
an brow and cheeks and lips were artistic
shadows 20 her pathetic posture.
when she had started on her poor little
career she had been ambitious. She had
believed that her thoughts were brighter
,ban. those Of most people. and that she
knew how 10 express them freshly; yet
quantity. She had hopcd-it was only In
some such retrospect that her mind did
become subjective. and then its quality
was an amused contempt. She had
r,pcd-and with what result? She had
become through straining Of powers, a
hack writer. able TO evolve certain
Quantity OF twaddle each week for which
certain syndicates would give so much a
dunn. So much and so little; bound
ia poverty and q barrier against starva-
t1u. her earnings kept herself and Harry
m an economical livelihood. which was
comfort 10 her. but distress to him.
Was there. indeed. any condition short
81 unlimited luxury which would be sat
Isgciory for the boy2 And even In that
case. wouldn't he sooner or later discover
limits? u seemed so: for a pocket of but
moderate size cannot remain hlled II
th.Ic' s. a hole in the bottom Brenda smiled
us she thought Of her brother. and here
- was the freedom from bitterness which
made her smile an aid to pathos. lie was
SD utterly worthless. yet 50 lovable: a
vase. cracked and mutilated. yet when
sct ~ place seemingly rare and perfect.
Ert when vas Marry ever in place?
Brenda knew. though she would not ad-
rrf u. when his want was urgent, and
ta. easiest way 20 appease IL was 10 cajole
DIS sister
Five years OF effort had produced the
l.ag wages OF a hack writer. Was there
nothing else as a result? Yes, nothing
Was q fitting definition OF her ambition.
There was something before her. though
composed OF nothngness: something
which in fact had caused Brenda 10 pause
fr.m her work and muse in pathetic pos
t.re. "a mass Of manuscript with the heavy
brown wrapper half unrOled, bearing her
directions. 10 was a narrative which she
had written In the interstices OF her
dIulscry. a story Of domestic life entitled.
"rre Markhams and the Maidments."
and she had just received back with
thanks from TIE publishing house to which
She had proiIered H.. There was nothing
uncommon about this event 10 Brenda.
and me formal note Of refusal had been
sufficiently polite. but. in turning over
tle unfortunate pages-just as happier
women may arrange and rearrauge dead
cfid's little raiment-she had CHANGED
UPON slip Of paper bearing bold, assress-
i've writing, the report OF the reader 10
tho firm. evidently left there through neg
lleuce. and this is what Il said. Niminy-
rnuy. namby- PANTY; wishy- washy: in
Hannah More's worst style. (signed)
IT, l.. s.
And So Brenda rested in thought and
smiled deris!vely az herself and lovingly
over Harry, reviewing her poor little
career with sincerity. and yet with a
faint touch Of wounded pride. There
was a certain amount OF truth in this
rUie dicium OF "B. l.. S IS" she realized
and yet wasn't the "niminy- piminyism, 3"
Gc. compatible with actual domestic ex-
leHencee? TO her eye. and she believed
d, both single and trained. the Markhams
and the Maidments were vital people
having their trivial joys and sorrows,
which were just as great 10 them as the
mighty woes and passions Of history.
Their experiences eXemplihed. and in
a pleasant way. too. the wisdom OF steer
ing the course Of life by the cardinal vir-
tues The trouble was that In a fit OF
desperation Brenda had sent the tale 10
house as likely TO publish anything d.
.lrtic. as 10 was 10 foregO the profits Of
ID publication: and. the sting OF the re-
u-h made venOmous by the readers
contempt. had completely disheartened
her, Hannah More's worst style! She
remembered misled by the inscrutable
Same attached to this worthy woman
having once attempted TO read some Of
tar Village Tales and, strong as she
was in patience. she had speedily relin-
u.-hed the task for the darning and
L.afuc IN which she was inept
Brenda carefully bound and tied her
production 50 ruthlessly condemned She
would put IL away, as one might pre-
mature tombstone, as "A memento or
f...y and hcnceforth limit her outfit TO
u- tWaddle which had a marketable
value and yet Brenda could not help
from signing as the perversity OF things
k.It Cbtrudng. There at that very mo-
irsut on her desk before her was copy
VI the Evangelical stylus" an enter
r-.sIrr highly-successful magazine OF
he sanity sort. which accepted her ar
t..eg eagerly and cried for more On
sos front and rear covers were flaming
notices setting forth that the management
Do It's anxiety 20 encourage the growth
% Imaginative prose writing Of the purest
and highest nature, offered prize
az 5000 for the best moral tale Of 1900
words in length. TO be competed FOR by
amateurs only"
Here was a chance, and an obstacle, a
round hole and a square peg. The Mark
hams and the Maidm snts.' embodied
imaginative prose writing Of the purest
and highest nature, II Hannah More had
any title 10 her reputation, and Brenda
v5s precluded from Offering the work IN
D.mrettion by the wre'ched drudgery
which made her at once unknown and
r.. a professional. and they've put the
.r.y iu the right place, too rejected
tte g'fl with critical eye.
The careless slam OF street door ana
"a hasty step up the stairs por'end rather
200 interruption than a help, ami yet as
Brenda heard these sounds she ceased
from melancholy she smiled, and became
beautiful. For that was Harry, and home
s1 carly. too Perhaps, oh, perhaps, he
was now fully determined 20 be the noble
man she had so often dreamed he was
ana. waking. wiped away tears. Perhaps,
of. perhaps. be had found work, or at
LEAST had tidlngs OF chance and was
fastening 20 bear them % her. A likey
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