The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
's sS tss MACMILLAN COMPANY, q NJ. s.t Ss AZ
LITERARY ACCIDENTS.
A short story or Two.

Nobody is the correct and true judge Of
what any piece of writing is remarked a jour
nalist of thirty years experience. =" untl IL has
been put into print and served to the people.
1t is true, they are sometimes mistaken. but 1t
Is tho exception when they are. 1t is not neces-
sary for me to cite the stories Of Paradise
Lost, Innocents Abroad" and a few other
classics of that type. for they are part OF the
history Of the worlds literature. but l will tell
you a story of another classic. ! don't remem-
Der dates exactly, but once upon a time. far
back, 1 went into an Office one day to see about
q matter Of business. and I happened in just at
a time when the force was discussing the man
uscript of q book which the readers of the Co.
Establishment had all taken q tilt at. Its title
was 'Helen's Babies and its author was one
John Habberton. and a friend Of mine. Natu-
rally I was Interested. and upon inquiry l was
panied to learn that tho entire force, with the
exception of one ordinary girl who was only a
sub-reader. had passed adversely, and with
promptness, upon the manuscript. Not only
that, but they were laughing to scorn the poor
sub-reader. who. Notwithstanding. insisted that
it was the funniest thing she had ever read, and,
of its kind, the most entertaining. However, 1t
was q case of many against one, and the manu-
script WAS returned.
II did not give the matter any further
thought just then. but the next day or day
after tho subject of manuscripts came up
In q talk I was having with Soneso OF tho
tale of the rejected manuscript. and sug:
Rested that in my Judgment the opinion OF
the girl who represented the class who bought
books because they liked them WAS far better in
a business sense than the opinion of critics who
Judged n book from the critical point OF view,
critics not being book buyers rs a rule. 1t struck
him as n good point. and he asked me to tell Hab-
berton to offer the manuscript to him.
II went after Hnbberton ut the first OppOrtu-
nifty. and no went after Soneso. What the
readers of the firm thought of the manuscript l
mover learned. rhe business end of tho
firm thought il was good enough to publish and
the result was that more Helcn's Babies were
sold than of any book the house ever published:
So much for the opinion OF a humble sub reader:
Speaking q of that kind OF thing" said a man
with q dome OF thought that had no more hair
on 1t than has the dome of the Capitol ut Wash
ington. reminds me Of something entirely diff:
miee who wrote pieces for tho papers. aud
that sort, don't you know. The first one; who
is now a writer Of stories and verse while he
makes his bread and butter ms ar editor. wears
ago sent a poem to A and one to b. In
time both poems came back to him and he was
enough TO print. and he could not understand
why both OF them should get II in tho neck Ike
that: As there was nothing - go else It to a.; DO ar and ba he
he could. and simply reversed the operation.
sending the first piece to Il and the other 70
A. In due time he heard from each ana In
each letter was a check"
"The experience of the other litterateur was
somewhat different. He sent n short sketch 10
a leading periodical of the lighter kind. which
also published a collection of things clipped
from newspapers and other places Nil over the
world, offering therefor money prizes of from
one to three dollars for Mo best ones presented.
He was rather hopeful Of the success OF his lit
tic offering. for he had been there before; but.
10! it came back to him with a promptness
that made procrastination seem a virtue;
He rallied and sent 1t to another editor. and
this time. though not exactly where no wanted
himself to appear. he got and received his
money for his effort. Two or three months
collections OF sketches published by the other
fellow. and there, at the head of the column, as
the winner of the highest prize in its class. was
the story which had been before weighed In the
balance and found wanting"