The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-02-21
PRICE OF SUCCESS.

"Why, indeed p exclaimed l. "After
ten years of hard, patient toll you have,
in the graceful language of the Gau1s,
arrived, or, in plain, colloquial Amer
lean, 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 / know you have plenty
of them. According to my calculations,
up to the time went abroad two years
ago, you must have at least a 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 80, with fame and money at com
mand and life practically before you.
Why should you not be happy2"
You forget the price of success, y
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 of knowing that it's paid for. "
eyes, said Holden almost sadly,
''but you do not realize how dearly /
have paid for it. =
"Well possibly not, said 1 half
apologetically. ''You know was far
away while you were putting in your
last and probably your hardest ticks,
and 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. -
81 am said Holden, "but with my
pride is mingled pang of regret that 1
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 flight elate;
We have to suffer just to gain
Inc misery OF DelnR 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.
'Tell me about it, old fellow said
l alphabetically, for saw that some
real sorrow underlay his words.
'WeI, 1 will, " said Holden. "It is a
subject / seldom refer to, for 1 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, hattering moths who
futter about the latest flame. The meta
phor is poor, for am not shining light
even now, out already l have had
enough of sycophancy, and-well, you
know what mean, old man.
"When you left the country, had
just about settled down to the dreary
routine life of an editor, whom some
journalistic wit has described as "a re-
porter with his legs worn out. l had
despaired of ever getting my plays ac-
cepted and could foresee nothing but an
endless round of grinding out cut and
dried opiniCIs for other men until 1
myself became as dry as they and was
kicked out to make room for fresher
material l had married, and of course
we lived up 10 my salary news
paper man does not? Then the baby
came, and for time we lived even a
little beyond it. AS a consequence was
forced to put mT nose even closer to the
grindstone and turn my spare hand to
hack work in order to help out.
81 didn't mind the hard work The
only regret was that it led to nothing
and kept me away from my chosen
work. The human mind can do only
about as much as the body, and when
all its time is expended upon routine
there is no energy left for original
work. The fact that gradually crawled
out of debt and even laid by few dol
lars was small compensation for the
smashing of my dreams and the realiza-
ton that at such a gait l could never
succeed in the line ] most desired
''Well, that was about the situation
was in when opportunity knocked at
my door, The season production of a
successful star proved failure too com
plete to be carpentered into even a
semisuccess. The play had been relied
upon to fill out the season, and he had
nothing definite in reserve. AS it hap
pened, had outlined to him plot
which impressed him, and he sent me
! fhof I
pleted play as soon as possible he would
consider it. 1t was the vaguest possibil-
4 ity that he might accept it if nothing
better offered, yet felt that it was my
first and in all probability my last
/ chance.
Il could not possibly write the play
in time and still retain my editorial
position, yet 1 hesitated to resign the
latter for winter was at hand, and we
needed my weekly salary. Then there
was the probability that all my labor
would go for naught, and would be
left out in the cold, for you know that
in newspaperdom it is easier to resign
a position than to get one, for when 8
man steps out there are always 20 9th
ers ready and anxious to take his place,
many of them just as good and some
considerably cheaper.
''But the dear little wife, who never
I doubted my success, decided for me
So l resigned my desk and went tC
work with might and main on my play
had scarcely been at it week before
the baby fell i'll, and then our small
savings began to fly. No one knows
how money can go until his income il
cut off and his expenses are increased
and very soon we were brought face t.
face with the problem of how to live OF
nothing a week Still / worked on
sandwiching in sketches and stories
enough to keep us going between th'
acts of my play, until it seemed as /
the pen were constantly in my hant
and my brain was in whirl. We wer'
never reduced to actual want, nor ever
thanks to the kindness of our cred
itors-to public humiliation, but TO
the first time since my marriage wa
compelled to renew acquaintance witt
the pawnbrokers, and my pride wa
humbled forever.
"Worse still was the constant worr.
and care for our little one. We coult
not afford to hire nurse, so the wifi
and l took turns in standing watch owe
her. Baby had just reached the ag
when she was learning to lisp GU
names, and she chung to us with tina
blind confidence of childhood whicl
1. r@,r.,1