Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-02-29
HISTORY OF A STORY.
How 1 Wrote Story for the Youths
Companion, and Why It Has Not APP

O0mpan10ny ana why III mas MOI APP
peared.
[Continued from last Week.
After receiving that letter I was
quite willing TO believe that the Edi-
tors were sincere, and lost no time in
writing a story, which was called "Dr
HAYES Wire Fence;" and in return
rece ived money check and this for
mula:
Editorial Room,
| YourH's COMPANION,
BosroN. MASS. May IA, 1891.
Mrs. A e JoHNsoN,
Dear Mad we enclose the check
OF Perry, Mason and Co., assumed
name of the firm) for twenty dollars
in payment of your story entitled
I"Dr. Hayes Wire Fence" Accepted
manuscripts are subject to such edi-
torial changes as the character and
Iexigencies of the paper may demand.
Thanking you for submitting the
manuscript to US, we are
4 Very truly yours,
! The EDTTcRs.
] 1 also received this card in the same
letter:
Il Dear Madam The story proves an
, available one, and therefore We willing
:. fly retain it. THE EDITORS.
Il
word to gain admission to the columns
: of the COMPANION, was we'll pleased.
: as well as relieved, and certainly
:; l thanked the Editors heartily. Then
= came a long psriod of waiting; but az
i knew the EDITORS must be crowded
b with both writer's and contributions,
/; 1 WAS patient and never asked even 8
/; Iouestion, until l893-two years later
J. This was when the Worlds Fair was be
n ling prepared for, and wa colored people
n were fondly fancyiDg that we were Il
h lkake a fair share in it Mr.. Penn
:. wrote me that he wished 70 get togetl
Ter a literary exhibit, and asked me 70
n NV work. My second book was no
IS vet out, but was looking for it. Wish
e ling to get together as much as posi-
= lble. / wrote to the Editors Of tn
e lYouth's Companion, asking if the
would not fix q date for the publica
if ton Of my story, telling them why
wished il. in. They told me this:
BosToE, Mass, Jan %, 1885,
" MRS. A, f. JOHNSON,
Dear Madam We are very SORT
that we can net fix q date when sd
Haves', Wire Fence" will be printed
Il If you were aware of what an enol
i'd NOUS amount of matter we accept an
q nav for, you would understand that
nd Large part OF it has to waita long tim
az for publication, and since we acceK
as twice as much as we can, some of
is, never see the light at all We shoul
AT like very much for the special reasc
of Won assign to accommodate you, bi
m. after all, the Companion with its ha
lad million subscribers has to be bigg
than the desires of any one OF its col
he tributors. If you wish to include Il
it's story in YOUR book, we should not fel
1es like standing in your way; consideri
is 1.-THE circumstances of the case weWill
n.y. turn it to YOU gratuitoasly, il you G
ted l'uress q wish that we do so
he Very Truly Yours
tn TIE EDIfoRs
&C. Then it was for the first time that
in got 8 glimpse OF the capabilities
ind Those Editors, However declined
ned accept the return of the MSS offered
generously, and informed them tina
ar could get along very well without
are land preferred to let it wait its turn
ted publication, nnodestly saying that \ /
kes the Companion with its half mill
J.. Esubscribers must be bigger than
mo- Idesires of any one OF its contributt
,ent In was q representative Of eight mill
igry lpeople in whose INTEREST," was max
i the effort.
mv-f After that let the matter rest.
II in L so did they. talked 1t over. b
ever with number of persons, al
ne whom were unanimous in say
ne I"Wait, it is only question Of tin
only So / waited but I had about give
me. all up
rom Now comes the amusing part OF
) in business; il there is anything anus
ern- aboutit kll this time, would
"a of had promptly kept up my subsc
heir Ition and had year after year transa
ton. a good part of my Christmas shop
)sely with the company.
One day when the Companion
otect far from my thoughts I received
The Following surprising (under the
SER cum stances) epistle:
want Editorial Rooms,
then YoUrH's COMPANION, Dec. ID,
MIS- A. e JoBEsoE.
5 was Dear Madam :---Itis our hope
his the Companions Prize story col