The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-08


country. hut u. Appleton d Go. saw evil
d"nc"a OF genius In il. says the Boston
Transcript. Success came a; length 10 the
invalid novelist. though he did not live 10
see tn, welcome sight of a printed hound
copy If his work. Is such an experiences
g, u? many will ask. Are books of
superior value often overllCke by the read
crs of manuscripts? While our great pub
fishing houses doubtless have keen eyes for
what is likely 10 lac successful. and the ex-
aInincrs on readers are experts. vet
Inany of the most valuable readable works
have been rejected at the outset.
Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield" though
accepted IN Doctor JohlsOn's Endorsement.
lay neglected in the publishers desk for
fully two years. Isaac D'Israeli. in his
"calamiiies of Authors" tells of ma
ticnal work which could find no patronage
DE Lalmes English Constitution
when my enlarged English edition" said
the author. was ready for the press. had
| acquainted ministers that | was p.-par-
ing 10 boil my teakettle with IL. for want
of being able to afford the expense II
printing il, they would not have considered
that l was u"hting my fire with 'myrrh
and cassia Alright ,eious ointment. Hume
says Of the firs,reducs'"f his history, In a
twelve-month nc. s.oN II than forty five
copies were Sold
Miss MuhIbach's novels n our day were
offered TO almost every New York pub
Usher and rejected but ID. Appleton Il Co.
published them. The Wide. Wide World
was declined again and again. and the
publisher who accepted IL did so against
his better Judgment and because his aged
mother was very much pleased with the
story. Robert Carter was one of the first.
as he tells us. to reject Miss Warmers
story. although he read 1t at the request of
Der father. .'Rutledge'' and stepping
Heavenward'' were both put timidIy upon
The market Julian Hawthorne himself tells
us that his Archibald Malmaison'' was re-
fused by nearly all the foremost publishers
Of New York and Boston. yet II was one of
his hest-selling books. McMaster's His
tory of the People Of the United States
was rejected by the publishers readers and
by a distinguished iit;erateur. But Daniel
Appleton himself read the manuscript and
published the book with excellent results.
Il hear" observed Thackeray to Doug
las Jerrold. that you have said the Viz
ginians' is the worst book ! ever wrote. /"
No" replied Jerrold II said II Is the
worst book anybody ever wrote" And yet
Thackeray's "Virginians'' has taken Its
place among the recognized masterpieces OF
the English Language. This proves that
eminent critics may nod as Horace says
of Homer. That critic nodded who said of
Byfon's earlier productions: Though
George Gordon. Lord Byron. - minor. may
J..
unless he improves wonderfully he can
never be u poet"
Miss Milford mentions two individuals
who We're criticisiny a certain work. One
Of them declared that 1, ought to be burned
by the hangman, and the other that IL
should be- printed in letters Of gold. My
sentiments" she adds. accord with mel
Their. l would only read 4; to the pastry
cook and the jrunkmaker." Anthony Troll
lope tried peculiar experiment. perhaps
never attempted before or since. which
shows that criticism ~ not always alert
and Judicial. Nearly twenty years after he
commenced his career az a novelist he
wrote. without sisn.ng his name. a story
for Blackwood's Magazine. and followed 1t
up with another. both being. as he sup
posed OF fair merit. But neither of them
had any real Success aud. when he Of
fsied /. third, the sagacious publisher ac-
tually declined IL altogether. Meanwhile.
the author was growing in fame and for
tune In his own name: yet he found. says
Hargreayes. that the product OF the same
III ain was powcriess to create, as he had
hoped. second identity for himself He
discovered that IL would he necessary to
run through all the routine service before
he could win his spurs In this collateral
character: whereas. n he had laid these
experimental products before the public as
his own acknowledged compositions. they
would doubtless have been received with
the usual three times three and perhaps
one over.
Another curious critical dicturn was that
of Winckelmarn. the great art critic. on a
painting Of "Ganymede and Jupiter"
which Was supposed TO have been found al
HercuiIreUm. Beyond doubt said
Winckelmann. 1T IL the finest thing in
tn. world This from the greatest art
critic of the day was great praise. But
the painting. alas, was not antique. but
the production OF his FRIEND M=ngs,
W,i;z. The Bavariau artist. forwarded II
painting by Rubens To Paris. with his own
maize subscribed. IL was declared "A iaub
and refused a place In the collection. II
even the Intelligent critic sometimes
mods I'm his Judgment. what can he ex-
ivcj"d from criticaSters. Of whom there
~, many?
We hav. about million critics I'm
Great Britain. says I.Indor. mot soul
81 whom entertainS the least doubt of his
own infaIlihil.ty."
W. clark Russell's Wreck of the Gros-
venor' was read by young lady. who de-
clarcd 1t a catalogue of ship furniture"
and ii was rejected: yet this volume. ac-
ceptrd by Sampson Low q Co. who paid
80 for 1t. with an additional fi0. had
reached circulation. up tn 1891, of 3i.95)
copies. In two days the resoiute author
may meet the censor's rebuff. Declined
with thanks. from one publisher may
prompt him to present the same work. as
W.stcott did David Harum.' to publisher
after publisher. until he finds a door open
or a gate ajar. "Our magazine uses about
hundred articles a year" said a pub
Usher. but We have about 1900 sent in.
His manuscript was rejected by half a
dozen firms: yes. but II was finally accept
ed. and westcott died content. II. Rider
Haggard's king Soiomons Mines was
refused by three publishers. Carlyle's
"Sartor Resartus'' was declined by publish
or after publisher. but Frazer took 1t. and
the world has read IL.
But a rebuff drives another man 10 re-
vision. Sheridan's reply to Woodfall Is
famous. when the latter gave Ii as his
opiuion that the member for Stafford would
never make an orator Il know IL Is In me.
and 1t shall come out" said Sheridan: and
this stammering. confused man. In his dis
ciplined years. produced what Burke called
''the most astonishing burst Of eloQusnce,
argument and wit united. of which there is
any record or tradition" D'Tsraelfs re-
mark. when he failed, Is well known: u