Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-05-21
A BIT OF HIS OWN EXPERIENCE.
The Successful Authors Object Lesson to
the Literary Aspirant.

author, had met Pennington, the lit
erary aspirant, at Mrs. Worther-
spoons, and had taken liking to him.
There was something pathetic in the
expression of the boys eyes, and from
the point Of view OF the simple e-hearted
author there was nothing particularly
kind in his asking him to dine at the
Penman's Club when he next met
him, crossing Madison Square.
After dinner, which was more ap-
preciated by the younger man than by
the elder, they lit their cigars, and
Pennington asked Towers the ques-
ton that had been ON his tongue all
through the meal: "Do editors buy
things from You now that they wouldn't
buy when you first started in?"
Towers smiled that dreamy smile of
his, and said, "Why, of course, my
dear boy. II you have namo enough
anything will go. The editors don't
think anything more of your stuff, but
she dear public thinks it is good if it
has great name tackled to it."
''Then did you have trouble at
frst?" asked Pennington, as if he
thought the answer would be no. For
Towers looked as if he had been born
with whole set of silver spoons in
his mouth-that generous mouth of
his.
Eyes, had trouble, although can
afford to laugh at my troubles now.
Indeed, 1 really think that was hap
pier then, for [ was struggling to get
somewhere. Now that the struggle
is over, life has lost much of its zest. :"
"You look back on your happiness,
and I look forward to it," said Peu-
nington bitterly. Who is happy to-
day?"
perhaps the waiter who is serving
us to night, although Markham might
call him brother to the OK. But your
speaking of selling stuff readily now
that went hard at first recalls an ex-
perience of mine when / was young
l ever will be again. Ihad had run of
hard luck that had about winded me,
and unless [ could collect some money
due me from certain magazine it
looked as if L would starve to death.
In fact. had not had anything to eat
for twenty-four hours, and hadn't a
cent in my pockets. The editor, who
was also the cashier, was busy, and
they told me to wait. After l had
waited an hour he hurried out of his
office, and told me he had got to catch
train, and he was gone in q moment.
Well, the shock was too great for me,
and I tainted. When / came round I
explained matters, and O sub-editor
whose heart was in the right place,
even If his judgment was poor, COM
missioned me to write an article on
tine ups and downs of Wall Street,
and paid me in advance. The article
was badly done, as it was out of my
line, but the check tided me over for
season. Well, I made rather dra-
matte little story out of my fainting-
it really wasn't bad, and / tried to
sell it all over the country, but no
one would even sniff at it, so, after q
few mouths of travel on its part, +
put the soiled and creased manuscript
away until the time should be ripe"
And did the time ripen?" said
Pennington, with ghost of smile.
''The time always ripens if you
don't die too soon. Three years ago
1 made my first hit with "A Heart Un-
fortified and followed it up in TIE
spring with Winter and Rough
Weather, and then L was flooded with
orders, and reporters wore out my
electric bell button coming to me for
interviews. And when L had sold
most everything 1 had ever written,
good, bad and Indifferent, took this
dramatic sketch and turned it into
what it was, bit Of my own life, an
autobiographical sketch"
"Aud did it go?" said Pennington
eagerly.
"Did it go? Why, man, THE Daily
Boomerang gave me $500 for it, and
printed it in the Christmas supple
ment. Yes, yes, remember just how
it was headed. I read it while / was
dining at Delmonico's with Howard
Bronson and Greene Clay: "A Great
Author Faints From Hunger While
Success is Years Away. Wyndham
Towors, the Famous Novelist, Tells
How He Once Felt the Pangs of
Starvation in tho Office of the "Lit-
erary Magazine" Most Dramatic
Story of the Century. Fact Once
More Proved Stranger Than Fiction. ;
How Clay and Bronson laughed when
showed it to them!"
''But you didn't laugh at the time?"
said Pennington, soberly.
"No, didn't laugh at the time, but
don't you see the dramatic situation
all round?"
Pennington seemed about to speak.
He hesitated, colored, and then shut
his lips resolutely.
A half hour later, when Towers
bade him adieu and went uptown to
the opera, Pennington went back to
Madison Square aud sat down on a
bench, and said half aloud:
"Towers went twenty-four hours