Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-15
WAITED FROM ALTON
WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO
WRITE.
And n Dissertation the Conse-
auence-Gold or Glory-Self-Mnue
Men nnd Their HcIps-Vnlue of
Newspapers.
Correspondence Of the Dispatch)
Newspapers

or less checkered career incident 20 every
pen-scribbler many curious letters are re-
celved. The first question on the modus
operandl Of my mental illusions reached
me only last week. II ran thusly:
Dear Mr.. Fibbs: VIII you not tell me
how you write? DO you think the things
up by yourself. or DO you read about them
first? And IL 50, I'm what books. or does
some one else put the ideas in your headr'
TO begin with, there IS something re-
markable in this epistle. because 1 have
never read anything which so completely
answers itself.
This is a great help One OF the most
dificult things in life is wisely and salts
factorily TO advise another-and particu-
larly difficult II that other be woman
My correspondents name IS In initials,
without a title; but / judge her 10 be OF
the feminine persuasion, from the smart
stationery. and faint, sweet odor OF Yio-
let's. and 1 know her TO be young by the
perpendicular, unshaded eyenness or her
chirography, and the pretty capital letters
And married. too | think; FOR the ink
has dried after the first three lines, ana
IS paIer to the close. That means she was
Interrllpted by "hlm'-or the hired girl
and evidently wrote the remainder (Which
| do not copy TO catch the male or mall
From this you will see. my dear madam,
that ! could easily branch of after the
Sherlock Holmes style, or how one reasons
from cause 10 effect, or write an essay,
good or bad. upon each OF the half dozen
subjects suggested from the above
So much for the ideas az 60 whether
ones vocation Is 70 write, or whether the
pursuit OF a literary life is advisable, Is
quite another thing.
GOLD OR GLORY.
Irrespective Of class, there are more
women at the present time struggling for
an individual place IN the world OF
achievement than ever before. Permitted
or compelled, they must have gold or
| glory Even the society girl. as a fash
ionable fad, has aspirations above the
mere accidents Of birth and wealth, and
| must gain distinction for herself But the
! majority Of women who want 20 write
| are obliged to be self-supportlng. and they
make a mistake when they think there
| IS a royal road 10 authorship. II IS a mis-
| take even 70 ask advice, and It dawns
upon me more strongly each day that
true genius, or even ability, does not need
/ II. 1t only wants an outlet. The natural
spring forces itself through earth and
| rock-the we'll has TO be bored, and It's
| course directed. The woman who feels
! that uncomfortable impulse towards Gre
| alton. which is divine I'm power will not
ask the way into the light. but 1t re-
| ouires decided talent. ambition, and pa
| thence, and an intense love OF the work
| 10 succeed. Even then women are-with
rare xceptions-hampered and their
minds divided by other compulsory in
| terests. There must be something deeper
and stronger IN woman than IN man.
| believe that woman, when she has the
spontaneity Of inspiration at all, is more
gifted than man-other things be-
ing equal-Ella Wheeler Wilcox
for instance, helping about the
homework on western farm,
and stealing away TO the garrett
in odd chances to write her fiery verses
and love stories.
"But for that life" she once wrote me-
It would never have found the mint OF
gold IN my own brain"
1 do not believe q man would have had
an idea, or could have written line! He'd
have bound wheat behind the reapers,
and stayed there FOR the rest OF his
natural lifel
THE EXCEPTIONS.
20. but the exceptions" says the scep-
tic Yes. they prove the rule; these self
mado men that rise from the humber
walks Of life. And they followed one
vocation.
But If you Will hunt up the home life
OF most any self-made man, you Will
ind the woman that helped him. II the
labor could DO divided, sho gave OF herself
freely; II not, he drew from some woman
the greater power that encourages-that
urges on with all the incentives Of faith
and praise TO higher things.
More than all, and best because most
needed she kept a home for him; stood
like n shield between him and every am
tagonistic worry; kept away all the him
| drance, and put him back as IL were,
In a shrine 10 work out his destiny.
1t may be d wife-it Is oftener a
mother--that sends out to every self
made man strength through the very in
tensity of her desire for his advance
ment. that is a world OF helpful influence.
And a woman. let me tell you. my
/ friend who would aspire TO authorship.
| that no woman on Gods green earth is
| 50 alone as the woman who would rise
| above her present environment 10 some
! thing better. She has got to work 1t out
| by herself.
10 shields or breaks will be made for
! her. Nor viii she, IN this bitter period,
/
! olseWhere-let her never hope for that
In a marked account OF the early life
| OF Robert Louis Steveuson-sent 10 me.
| l guess, for advlce--I read that ne would
90 out by the waysides, notebook Ga
/ hand, and study nature. sitting patiently
| and plodding over his work, writing and
rewriting bits OF scenery and moulding
his great thoughts in different ways-the
| mechanism OF composition, you know.
Il was all very wei, 1 suppose but
writer's OF that lelsurely fortunate kind
are not hurried TO put down the bread
before It sOUrs, or to feverlshly watch the
clock TO find that the hour and minute
hands have changed places, and that 10
is milking time. or that the baby-the
ubiquitous baby-is awake as Il always IS
No. not happy followers Of fancys rosy
leadl They just press straight ahead 10
the mark Of high calling"
Opportunity That is the gift Of the
gods which would make a wise man Of a
| fool. or a Browning-Of some other
woman than my fair correspondent.
no COMPARISON.
That the "pen is mlghtier than tho
sword " every school-boy knows SO
mighty, indeed, that were its dictates bet
ter followed the sword would cease TO be.
4 save as an ornament on barOnial walls
beside the coat-of-mail ana the battle
axe.
And there is no comparison as to the
! pay IL offers. Not alas 10 the wielders