Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-11-14


of subscribers, which would be a diff
icult and laborious Undertaking, OF
earn it by my pen.
resolved to try. But, fearing fail.
ure, | did not want the family to
know of my venture | wrote two es-
says-just what the subjects were !
have forgotten and the clippings were
lost years since, | regret to say. How
TO post nay letter was the next ques-
ion. often acted as mail-carrier to
the postoffice, five miles distant, riding
across fields and over fences on my
! graceful single-fOoter, Kitty, liz COM
Dany with q schOoImate, Alice Ellis,
who possessed a Shetland pony. We
rode without saddles, blanketing and
bridling our own steeds-and il is
fortunate l did not live in Buffalo Bill's
vicinity or my career might have ter
minated in the wild west show.
While l could post a letter unknown
10 my family, the stamp had first to
be obtained Finally I decided on a
sGatagem. l was corresponding with
q young girl several years my senior,
4 who was in the freshman class at Mad
Ison university. / confded in her,
Enclosed the Mercury letter and as
sured her she would be reimbursed for
the stamp when We next met. l would
save my pennies for that purpose.
Jean posted my letter and watched
/ the newsstand for results. Two months
later, long after | had relinquished all
hope, she wrote me that my essays
! had appeared; whereupon I wrote
stern reprOOf to the editor for not
sending me the paper, at least, as pay
: Tor my work" if he cotsd afford no
other remuneration, Shortly after
ward 2 large package Of back numbers
| " the New York Mercury zane ad-
dressed to me through the country
p. 5tofice.
Even At that immature period hoI
a Wooer--a young man past voting age.
! possessed Of mustache, q tenor voice
and no visible means of support. He
played the violin and sang This Night
. or Never My Bride Thou Shalt Be in
4 truly fascinating manner He had
been given 70 understand by the family
that his room was preferable to bis
company, however, and had ceased to
call. When the enormous roll Of news
papers direct from the editors office
came to me stern senior member
Of the household at once concluded
that the l0velorn swain had subscribed
10 win new favor in my eyes. This &C
cushtion was made before ! was ques-
toned on the subject. Perhaps the
most triumphant and dramatic hour
Of my life was when | stepped forth,
in short skirts and long ringlets, and
announced to the family that not my
would-be lover but my literary work,
had procured the coveted Mercury for
our united enjoyment.
The world seemed to grow larger
and life more wonderful from that
hour / was then IA.
Prizes for Contributions.
[ wrote to Jean and asked her to
send me a list OF all the weeklies and
monthHes she could find in the book
stands, and to each and every one
sent essays, stories and poems with
enthusiasm and persistency. Every
family entered into my ambitions with
faith in my success.
| soon filled the house with all the
periodicals we had time to reaQ, and
in addition the editors sent me books
and pictures and bric-a brac and table
ware articles from their prize lists,
which were more precious than gems
would have been to me. They served
to relieve the bare and commonplace
aspect Of the home, and the happiness
felt in earning these things with my
pen is beyond words to describe. 1t is
curious incident that the first bit of
silverware which came into the home
was manufactured by the house with
which the man whose name | am for
tunate in bearing today was afterward
associated.
The very first verses | sent for pub
LEGATION were numerically ''guyed' by
my beloved Mercury. The editor urged
me to keep to prose and to avoid any
further attempts at rhyme. He said
that. while this criticism would wound
me temporarily, it would eventually
confer a favor on me and the world
al large
| recall only two StanZaS OF that I'M
fortunate poem. 1t related the woes of
a l2vel0rn maiden, and described her
la
She few to her room. locked and
b0lted the door,
Aud in anguish and grief threw her
self on the floor.
This was precisely what I did when
! read the editors cru comment
Yet after the first desp1." wol +
st to work with new feryor and de-
termination and sent poems and es-
says and stories to the Saturday
Evening Post, Demorest's Peterson's
and Arthur's Magazines, Harper's,
Leslie's and a score of more periodi-
Gals My first poem published appear
/ ed in the Waverley Magazine.
! My first check came from Frank
! LesGe's publishing house I wrote
asking for one of his periodicals to be
sent me in return for three little
/ poems / had composed in one day.
( IN reply came a check for $40, saying
/ I must select which one of some Is
publications they issued at that time
This bit Of crisp paper opened a
perfect doodgate Of aspiration, inspira-
ton and ambition for me. I had not
thought of earning money so soon.
had expected to obtain only books.
magazines and articles of use and
beauty from the editors prize lists.
r. u