Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-10-12
at NINETEEN gUD TWENTY.
seven.

Esther Lindsay was nineteen when her
first story WINS published. II was not the
first one she had written by any means.
Ever since she had been able 10 form the
alphabetical characters and Join them legi.
bly, her fertile brain had been weaving I'll
sorts Of possible and impossible romances,
many Of which she had forwarded to pub.
fishers In various parts Of the country, be.
llevlne with oil the fervor Of her youthful
egotisfa that her crude sentiments still
more crudcly wrought would inspire In
some editors soul the same faith In her
greatness which she herself already pos
sesscd.
But somehow her contributions always
fell short Of the mark of excellence neces-
sary to insure them favorable considers
ton, and manuscript after manuscript was
returned to her and was securely locked
away In the old drawer Of her old fashioned
bureau, which had been dedicated, with
good many tears Of disappointment, - .
repository for all rejected offerings at the
shrine Of literature. BY the time she was
nineteen there were. probably q hundred
OF more Of those hnplcss productions laid
away either 10 be ignominlously forgotten
or 10 be rcsurrcc,ed and revised when her
mind should become sufficiently mstured
70 sift out whatever mcrltOrlous material
there might be In them and use Il to good
advantage.
She worked steadily for more than three
months on her "Story Of the Steamer
Kcndrick." One night she finished re-
writing Il for the twenty. first time, and tho
next day she sent It to Jesse Arnold, editor
Of Ironton Inland Weekly. with q Ave line
note, asking him to read II carefully, and
even II he could not use II to let her know
what he thought OF Il.
OF all the editors In the land she seemed
70 have chosen him as her most favored
target, why she could not have told, for
she had no personal acquaintance with him
and his letters accompanying returned
manuscript had been even more curt and
forbi,lding than those Of bis brother pub.
fishers. But for all that eacll unl,applly
ending venture only added fresh fuel to her
zeal 70 secure foOthold among the ranks
Of the Inland Wcekly's contributors aud
compel It's chief by sheer force Of her i'm.
portunity to acknowledge her developed or
potential ability.
Her "Story Of tho Steamer Kcndrick"
was not work Of genius, but there were
phases Of the plot that were strong and
passages that were unusually well con.
ccivcd and executed, and after reading II
three times Jesse Arnold, who was con.
scientious editor, decided to keep IT, lie
accepted It with that feeling Of uncertainty
with which an insurance man Issues u
policy on an extra hazardous risk, aud
congratulated himself on his sllrewdncss
Aclt. -
be preferred. The public liked tue story,
and several critics who c0ndesccndcd to
review tho Inland Weekly praised It. Per.
haps Editor Arnold himself was more fully
aware Of the glazing absurdities IN the
piece he had brought out than were any Ut
its readers, and each favorable comment
that came 70 bis notice only made them
oil the more apparent. At last he con.
cluded to write to bis unknown literary
protcgc and warn her against certain errors
which might be paraoned 10 young
authors hrst story, but which, II often re-
pcated, would be serious drawback to her
advancement In her art. Before be did
90, however, she sent him another hastily
written story, and letter which was q
strange tumble Of gratitude to him for
bringing her before the public, thankful.
ness that she had been 20 well received,
and unstlnted expressions Of steadfast
belief that she was fairly launched on q
ses Of success, where wrecks and disasters
were On impossibllity. In conclusion she
limited that he ought to be eternally CRATE
full to her for allowing him to print story
which would, 10 oil probability, shed lustrt
round bis own reputation - well - bel
own. a
That evening he wrote the contemplated
letter
"You ore In danger OF being spoiled, =
he said In part. "You need advice aud
feel that ! have the right 10 address you
In the capacity Of censor. Remembe
that you are In an up.t0-date world and
the literature that viii live will DO the very
essence. the embodiment Of that world.
Visionary, idealistic sketches such % yours
may make very good reading, but they IN
not the true stun. You have unquestionet
ability, but II you wish 10 succeed you
must turn It TO the portrayal bf living mel
and women, not the imaginary puppets
that you have manipulated for the mos
part 10 your ..6eosy 81 the Gleasnsrg Ken
drick." Take yeur hero, for instance. ]
Wby 10 Qulto COWtOSSApB tUg ttt1o W
come In contact, through the medium o
printers Ink and paper, with an Apollo, I
mental Hercules, Q spiritual god and {
financial Croesus, oil combined In on
American man. and New Yorker at that
but Doubt any Of 10 would relish close
acquaintance with him he would be Cpl
70 prove unpslatable. Besides, he would b
On cxcresoence on the human race, an
after your second or third story the publ
would have none Of him. 80 take warn
Ing. Make your hero real men-full o
imperfeetions II need be-and let the god
take care OF themselves"
Esther Lindsay read and reresd the ed
tors letter. He had not Intended 10 MAXI
It unnecessarily pointed or critical, but q
oil the characters she had ever cOnjured U
her last hero had been the object Of be
most sincere admiration and the adm0n
ton TO shun him and his ilk touched her
the most vulnerable spot.
II want that man to understand me,
she said to her mother, after havin
dreamed over the contents Of the letter 10
Q couple Of nights, land In order to brln
that about am going down 70 Ironton I
zee him, for II would te utterly useless Il
me to attempt to explain In writing ju
what stapd have taken on thia subject.
1cl1z 1DcI1 N r. 11 21D0l