The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-28
PRICE OF SUCCESS.

"Well, old fellow, yCu ought to be
happy said I.
"Why2' queried Holden laconically.
"Why, indeed?" exclaimed. "After
ten years of hard, patient toll you have,
in the graceful language of the Gauls
arrived, or, in plain, colloquial Amer
ican, you have got there with both
feet Your first production is big
success; royalties are rolling in; man
ayers whom once you pursued in vain
are now pursuing you, anxious to Sc
cure at your own terms the very plays
that they formerly refused without
reading. And I 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 barrel
full of plays of all kinds-poetical. COM
ical, Observation-Disclosures to suit all
tastes Consequently all you have to do
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 happyf'
"You forget the price Of success, .
said Holden bitterly.
"Oh, of course, you have worked
hard for all you now enjoy, but that's
all over now, and you have the satisfac-
ton ofknowing that it's paid for. !"
"Yes,' said Holden almost sadly,
"but you do not realize how dearly l
have paid for it..
"Well, possibly not" said I half
apologetically. "You know was far
away while you were putting in your
last and probably your hardest licks,
| and 1 did not hear from you until the
news of the phenomenal success of q
new American playwright was cabled
across the water. Why, you're interna-
tionally famous, my boy, and you ought
to be proud of it. -
"I am" said Holden, "but with my
pride is mingled pang of regret that /
| shall never outgrow. however I 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 flight elate;
We have to suffer just to gain
| The misery of being great.
81 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
mine.
''Ten me about it, old fellow" said
| .1,,,Dofbaf for NY fbof Soma
real sorrow underlay his words.
"Well, will, =" said Holden. "It is q
subject seldom refer to, for I hate
public condolences. But you are an old
friend who knew me when my Light
was hidden under bushel and are not
like those tickle, fattering mot rs who
hutter about the latest fame The meta
phor is poor, for I am not shining light
even now, but already I have had
enough of sycophancy, and-well, you
know what mean, old man.
"When you left the country, ha6
{ just about settled down to the drearJ
! routine life Of an editor, whom some
E journalistic wit has described as "a re
porter with his legs worn out hai
despaired of ever getting my plays &C
cepted and could foresee nothing but al
! ! endless round of grinding out cut ant
: dried opinions for other men until
2 2 myself became as dry as they and wa
kicked out to make room for freshe
? ? material had married, and of cours
r we lived up to my salary-what news
y paper man does not? Then the bah,
e came, and for time we lived even
little beyond it. AS consequence wa
: forced to put my nose even closer to tn
; grindstone and turn my spare hand t.
: hack work in order to help out.
d 81 didn't mind the hard work. Th
: only regret was that it led to nothing
7, and kept me away from my chosel
# work The human mind can do onl
g about as mrch as the body, and whe
,e all it's time is expended upon routin
: there is no energy left for origina
Ite work. The fact that gradually crawle
i out of debt and even laid by few dol
y lars was small compensation for tn
ID smashing of my dreams and the realiza
le tion that at such a gait 1 could neve
he Eucceed in the line / most desired
\, "Well, that was about the situatio
N I was in when opportunity knocked a
at my door, The seasons production of
id successful star proved failure too CON
Is plete to be carpentered into even
in semisuccess. The play had been relic
N upon to fill out the season, and he ha
a nothing definite in reserve. AS it hal
Oh pened, l had outlined to him pie
which impressed him. and he sent N
lg word that if | would submit the con
ne pleted play as soon as possible he woul
= consider it. 1t was the vaguest possibi
~ ity that he might accept it if nothin
OF better offered, yet felt that it was m
It. nrSG ana IN all prODaDlllty my la
he chance
n 81 could not possibly write the pla
in time and still retain my editori'