Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-01-27
PRICE OF SUCCESS.

"Well old fellow. you ought to b
happy" said I.
"Why?" queried Holden laconically
"Why, indeed?" exclaimed I. "Afte
ten years of hard, patient toll you have
in the graceful language of the Gauls
arrived. or, in plain, colloquial Amer
lean, you have got there with boil
feet. Your first production is BIZ
success; royalties are rolling in; man
ayers whom once you pursued in vail
are now pursuing you, anxious to Sc
cure at your own terms the very play
that they formerly refused withou
reading. And l know you have plenty
of them According to my calculations
up to the time l went abroad two years
ago, you must have at least barre
full Of plays of all kinds-poetical, com.
ical, tragical-calculated to suit all
tastes. Consequently all you have to dc
is to dip down into that barrel, bring
up an old piece, place it and then sit
back and draw your royalties. Why,
my boy, you are retired and pensioned
at 35, with fame and money at COM
mand and life practically before you
Why should You not be happy?"
"You forget the price of success,
said Holden bitterly.
ooh, of course, you have worked
hard for all you now enjoy. but that 8
all over now, and you have the satisfac-
ton of knowing that its paid for -
Eyes. said Holden almost sadly,
"but you do not realize how dearly /
have paid for it. -
"Well, possibly not, said l half
alphabetically. "You know was far
away while you We're putting in your
last and probably your hardest ticks,
and l did not hear from you until the
news Of the phenomenal success of a
new American playwright was cabled
across the water. Why, you re interna-
tionally famous, my boy. and you ought
to be proud of it,
II am. said Holden, "but with my
pride is mingled pang of regret that
shall never outgrow, however may i'm
prove upon and make permanent. my
present good fortune. As some one has
said:
advancement limps on steps of pain;
Success is not in fight elate;
We have to suffer just to gain
The misery of being great.
~ do not know who wrote those lines,
but whoever he was he brought that
pearl OF truth from the depths of bitter
experience maybe something like |
nine
Tell me about it, old fellow" said
sympathetically. for l saw that some
'eal sorrow underlay his words.
"Well, will, said Holden 1T is a
ubject seldom refer to, for hate
'ublic condolences. But you are an old
rlend who knew me when my light
vas hidden under bushel and are not
Ike those tickle. flattering moths who
utter about the latest flame. The meta
hor is poor, for l am not shining light
ven now, but already l have had
nough of sycophancy, and-well, You
now what | mean, old man
"When you left the country, l had
list about settled down to the dreary
outline life of an editor, whom some
wit has described as "a re-
orter with his legs worn out. had
espaired Of ever getting my plays ac-
'pted and could foresee nothing but an
ldless round Of grinding out cut and
led opinions for other men until |
yselt became as dry as they and was
cked out to make room for fresler
aterial. had married, and of course
lived up to my salary-what news
per man does not? Then the baby
me, and for time we lived even n
tile beyond it. AS consequence | was
reed to put my nose even closer to the
lndstone and turn my spare hand to
OK work III order to help ont.
81 didn't mind the hard work. The
~ regret was that it led to nothing
q kept me away from my chosen
'rk. The human mind can do only
out as much as the body, and when
Its time is expended upon routine
ere is no energy left for original =
TX. The fact that gradually crawled
OF debt and even laid by & few dol
$ was small compensation for the
ashlng OF my dreams and the realiza.
n that at such gait l could never
coed in the line most desired
well, that was about the situation
'as In when opportunity knocked at
door, The season s production of (
cesstul star proved a failure too com.
To TO be carpentered into even n
llsuccess. The play had been relied I
IN to NIL out the season, and he had :
ming definite in reserve As it han. !
.ed, had outlined to him plot :
len impressed him, and he sent ma )
"a that If l would submit the com. (
'ed play as soon as possible he would !
sider 1t. 1t was the vaguest possibil. ,
mat nc might accept it if NOTHING
Ter offered, yet felt that it was nv )
and in all probability my last !
could not possibly write the play !
lime and still retain my editorial {