The Somerset reporter., 1899-02-23
PRICE OF SUCCESS.

happy, SAID l.
Why queried Holden laconically.
"Why. indeed % exclaimed l. After
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 both
feet. Your first production is a 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 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.
"Oh. of course, you have worked
hard for all yon now enjoy but that ;
all over now and yon have the satisfac-
ton of knowing that it's paid for
Yes. said Holden almost sadly,
but you do not realize how dearly
have paid for it -
We'll possibly not said half
alphabetically. You know eXos far
away while you We're putting III 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.
Il 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:
Success is not in flight elate;
We have to suffer just to gain
The misery Of being great.
Il do not know who wrote those lines,
but whoever he was he brought that
pearl of ruth from the depths of bitter
experience maybe something like
mine.
Tell me about it. old fellow, said
| sympathetically for | saw that some
real sorrow underlay his words.
well | will said Holden. 1T is a
subject | seldom refer to- for hate
public condolences, But you are an old
friend who knew me when my light
WAS hidden under a bushel and are not
like those tickle. flattering moths who
hutter about the latest flame The meta
phor is poor, for | am not shining light
even now. but already | 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 Will HIS ltSS WI II bul IdAl
despaired of ever getting my plays ac-
cepted and could fOresee nothing but an
endless round of grinding out cut and
dried opinions for other men until
myself became As dry as they and was
kicked out to make room for fresher
material had married, and of COURSE
we lived up to my salary what news
paper man does not Then the baby
came, and for time we lived even "a
little beyond it. As consequence l WAS
forced to put my nose even closer to the
grindstone and turn my spare hand to
hack work in order to help out
81 didn 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
tion that at such gait | 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 IA
semisuccess The play had been relied
upon to fill ont the season, and he had
4 -, Az =
pened | had outlined to him IL plot
which impressed him, and he sent me
word that if would submit the com
pleted play rs soon as possible he would
consider it. 1t was the yagurst posslbll
ity that he might accept 1t if nothing
better offered, yet | felt that it was ny
first and in all probability my Last
chance
Il could not possibly write the play
In time and still retalu INV editorial
position. yet | 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 yon know that
in newspaperdom it Is easier to resign
a position than to get one for when Il
man steps ont there are always 90 9th
ers ready and anxious To take lis place,
many of them Just rs good and some
considerably cheaper.
But the dear little wife who never
doubted my success, decided for me.
SO | resigned my desk and went to
work with might and main on my play.