The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-03-28


Hello, editor"
What have you got for US today?"
My opinion in the case
What case?'
Don't you remember? The ether
day YOU said lou had received a story
that was so bad that it was good, and
that you were half inclined to print
it as a sample Of the stuff you receive
daily and are actually expected TO pub
lish. You asked me what ! thought of
the scheme" The WATERMAN
paused.
"Well?" interrogatiyely.
"Wen, I've embodied my opinion n
story Here it is
The red-faced man with the yellow
mustache and blue eyes put tanned
hand into an inner pocket, drew out a
manuscript and handed it to the ele-
gantly groomed Harvard man at the
desk.
Read it, he said.
Mansfield settled himself comfort
ably and read
"The Story of & Love Story"
once upon a time there was a bril-
liant editor of a famous magazine;
there was also a WATERMAN whom the
editor liked and whose stories he
hated to reject; but the safety Of the
magazine demanded it. 1t happened
one day that the editor was sore per-
picked about a matter, and he called
the WATERMAN in to help him out.
Briggs" said he, Il have story
that is so bad that it is good. 1t is
splendid specimen of the rot that is
sent US. want to use it as a sample
of the sort of thing we get-of the
driyeI we are expected to publish
it's love story"
HAS il no uplifting cynicism to re-
deem it?' asked Briggs satirically.
NO. it's sheer fubdub, balderdash,
food for fools"
who wrote it? Some foolish old
woman. suppose
The editor knitted his brows.
NO he replied; "a young woman
wrote it-a school teacher"
Young. beautiful and a school
teacher repeated Briggs. Let me see
the story. All, it has two good traits
it's beautifully typewriter and it
smells of roses" After a few minutes
he handed the story back with a weary
smile. He pondered moment, then
his face frightened.
How do you know she's young?' he
asked. The editor unlocked a private
drawer.
She wrote me short letter giving
a sketch of her life. and telling me
how she came to write the story. |
wish the letter were longer-Fd pub
lish it instead of the other It's in
tensely interesting. 1t seems she has
suffered the same as the rest of us.
She also sent her photograph; here it
it. Imagine that face associated with
such rot. 1t seems a sacrilege."
Horrible" commented Briggs SOL
EMMY
she lives in B-ville. Texas" con-
tinued the editor
How shall you arrange with herr"
asked Briggs. You must. Of course,
give your reason for publishing the
story | shouldn't feel greatly fattered
if you were to use any of my stuff for
such a scheme as that. It's brutal
Il know it is. But there is such
fierce competition between Us editors
that we must employ eccentric
methods when we fail of original
you must even descend to the
breaking of a girls heart" said Briggs.
Hamilton flushed. 81 am not going
ia publish her name, and I'll pay her
as much as / would Howells or Kip
ling"
Briggs smiled. My dear boy, you
might as we'll try to console a mother
for the loss of her child by telling her
that no one would know it was hers
that died. It's not the world she cares
forts her pet, and she'll mourn over
it all the more on account of its friend
lessness. You don't know women, but
you should know authors. An authors
story may be deformed, ugly, even
idiotic. but you can no more reason
him into seeing it's unloveliness than
you can convince a mother of the ugli-
ness of her child
Don't lecture" exclaimed Hamil-
ton: give me an answer-yes, or no.
Shall l publish it as terrible exam
ple?"
yes" said Briggs.
Hamilton laughed. We'll, il you're
not the most inconsistent fellow ever
saw. | thought you were trying some
of your eccentric logic on me- Come
TO lunch"
Six months later Hamilton steamed
into St. Louis en- route to California;
he was to stop over for two days. The
first afternoon of his stay in that city
brought him a brief note, which bore
the official mark of a hospital, was
signed by one of the doctors, and
marked private" 1t ran:
Dear Mr. Hamilton;
1--WE have here a most curious case
of melaneholy-of slow heart-break.
The case is that of young woman
A most interesting feature Of the affair
is that the patient was thrown into the
l. Z Of