The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-06
PATRONIZING PAUL
LEICESTER FORD.

l. Alden That is one Of the things that
most people supposed to have been settled
at least twenty-five years ago.
While recently visiting a Chicago friend
Miss Beatrice Harradsn, the English nov
elist. gave this account OF her first expo
rience as an author:
From the start my aim was high. When
only II I made my first serious literary at
tempt 1t was a short story called Tine
Voice OF the VIOLIN and 1 summoned the
bravery to send It to B~lackwoOd's Maya
zine. wherein George Eliot and many other
great British authors had made their fame.
oh, how eagerly did 1 watch the post for
something from the celebrated editorial Of
fee which should make known the fate or
my first effort. Finally the token came.
The bulky envelope told me the story OF
rejection and disappointment. With the Inn
pulsiveness OF an irritated schoolgirl 1
threw the packet unopened into my trunk
and turned my thoughts I'm other direc-
tons. Weeks later. in obedience to an
other impulse CT the moment. I went to my
chamber, took the envelope from the trunk
and tore Il open. There was the Inflated
story. to be sure. but with something which
was destined to exercise a strong influence
upon the bent Of my life 1t was a long ana
kind autograph letter from William Black
wood himself. In which he said that. though
the first little story could rot be given
Dl4Ce IN lis Udkts VI Alb 80
in It the promise Of things TO come 20 ex-
cellent that he felt convinced that expert
ence would make me a real
writer. This compliment was not lost on
me. for I was familiar with the rch liter
ary traditions OF the Blackwood house The
letter also invited me to continue sending
storie. until acceptance should finally he
the reward OF perseverance ana assured me
that Mr.. would give me the ben
eft of personal criticism.
That first story was sent to Belgravia
and accepted: but my ambition was to get
something into Blackwood's. Time after
time I sent to the famous Edinburgh house
the best work OF which / was oapable-only
TO receive IL back again with e generously
painstaking letter pointing out its defects
and giving definite advice for future e-
forts"
Reatrice Harraden confesses herself a
s.aerv British patriot" and just before sail
ing for England a few weeks since she de-
clared: I'm eager TO get back so that | can
20 down TO the docks and welcome the VIC
torious soldier boys as they come home
from fighting the Beers. Why. l haven't
had so much as a chance for one good.
rous;ng. patriotic cheer. But I'll make up
for lost time when 1 get back to the dear
old town where the air IS full OF just that
sort OF thing"
Miss Harraden has probably the shortest
working day Of any writer who labOrs sys-
tGmdtlCalAy. ohc TN htlStAA
work but ninety minutes a day. In this
brief time. however, she accomplishes a
marvellous amount OF work. When asked If
she did not do any mental work outside of
her appointed hour and a half Of labor she
answered:
'Unconsciously. perhaps. but not to focus
anything. During all the remainder of the
time / try to be diligently idle so far as
literary thought is concerned" OF her own
novels Miss Harraden Is said TO regard The
Fowler as a much stronger piece OF work
than ships That Pass in the Night"
The authorship of the two books BLACK
Rock and THE Sky Pilot" interested
many readers. 1t has been made known be-
fore that Ralph Common is the Reverend
Charles W. Gordon of Winnipeg. But how
did he happen to become Ralph Connor?
How did he happen to write at all? The
second question may be answered nfst. He
was discouraged over the appropriation that