St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-12-12
WOES OF F-LIrERARY AsplRAnTs
1T Is Difficult for Them to Recognize
Their Shortcomings.

1t Is Difficult for Them to Recogniz,
Their Shortcomings.
There is one very soothing reelection
tor the average literary aspirant whe
has failedto get beyond the first roun
or so of the ladder leading to fame
namely, that he is one OF whole arm,
of persons who, with the same anlbi
tion, never succeed in climbing any
highersaIt is quite certain that In this
respect one-half the world has no ides
how the other half lives, and that a CON
siderable percentage in every hundred
I persons not only cherish literary crav-
lngs at some period or other of cyist-
enee, but make more or less strenuous
efforts to SATISFY the same Probably,
indeed, any prominent publisher would
be inclined to the opinion that all the
world tries its hand at writing. At
lany rate, it is remarkable how many
people of trained intelligence do. at
some time or other, fancy themselves
to be the poets, playwrights or novel-
lists of the near future, and their strug-
giles TO reach the coveted height are
often rs interesting as desperate.
Literary failures keep much n.the
| same groove; their experience do not
vary greatly. The average aspirant
usually has an early tendency for reel
ing off lurid "plots" and morbid
poems each of which his friends re-
gard as the outcome of sheer inspira-
ton. Soon these friends begin to tell
him that he is negleeting his genius,
and, thus encouraged, he glances crit
ically over the field of literature and de-
cides to commence with q three-yolnme
novel which shall thrill the reading
world.
AlasI for our dreams literary ones
in particular It is fairly easy to reel
of the novel, but another thing alto-
gether to establish a name on the
strength OF it.. The aspirant regards it
naturally as q masterpiece, and is con-
founded when, after he has been wait
ing for the publishers S cong ratulatiors,
his manuscript is returned with The
cold formula: we regret we are una
bic to, undertake its publication. He
thinks there is some huge mistake, and
sends it forth afresh, accompanied by
the same letter of glowing description.
Not, until, indeed, he. has spent an
alarming amount in postage fees, and
tba h,,,tls s. !eDalA,' :.
Is bea;n ,aas;-s -. IT, lesluels, Jugs
est things in the world is to convince a
publisher that the public is waiting
Sr,,,,, = ! ps.,ss a,,sssa s1ls eaiel eeu Nolk
,,,a,,Y +ar1 .lIa.. - ,.s ,4.u uisap p''1'h'-
- -ile' e.iS 90 se
& 80 sols1oei s''.9 snio''sh
M rrha 80 s'lSs1 ps-iod - u,slilusion.
!, 49, . siiess easls s'ii
: - = pS5t isa,ee', seae'l fsNs'sFs
e..e ',.osN 40 :" i'Ss
- - aaiietellss cilafae,
.o,aa a. = :. :. ~. iSl1es.s 81
- i.e'-' 80. ~ 81 WIN
! s.,rstcsl - -. r. sAt.'l =. aisls sA
r,s;an,as ,.sas;s 20. - puoi'snei' Nis
I'm e'.e's ihe' -
- IN " snT ~, s5llsses s.ff'o are
,nd ba 1,s;a se, - ~. - - ne = s's
n psssaz;,s, ~ ~ - - 81. sh
ty' 'oo' o5 t.i1s .ihie ne mas
'i.41.0 iils.s "a .'is . Nt'eitsnee
!, .
IN :, n j., : : :,
: no ~ lii - -. .'l.s'
ea j.. s4sta,, ,,,, - 1. - 0ee, q.
g1;ahs tIo,,s - sa1a - = .i.l
..-s.s. :. 9a1l Wy
oa,nE;Ja,at;ax fssa;r;4: ; .' ~
,uo4;on u1,iob thar A. ~ aasna.a - - : psu h.h
o,,4 - to-...4osl Pe,, :. ~, ,4s
aa,,;xa,7 'sif ~
ba coveted o,,a4,;ra 49, y, s,,1, -. ae.es
! +hst cssa ~ 80 - -. t, 81 - L.
ariaz,oa J., a. ~ - ~ ,'..1 ~ n's %
,,i,.e az 1,afara - - - rT:-
,ao1. - - - e il,s
nto the market. HIS = lo0 are gone.
of, perhaps, as IN the writer's case,
us hopes are falsely aroused in an
ther way. He tries an obscure pub
sher, and the latter thinks well of
he book,saDsi hopes to come to terms y
'hissn1ean rs fha tshe will pay ludicrous-
Y small sum 5floW n for TIE eopyrigh1-
ay EGO. Twenty pounds!-after I'll