The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-23

the reader chuckles and hugs himself.
He forgets the swamps he has been
wading through, for he Is positive that
he has set his foot on the highland, and
he sees the sun, feels its glow and
warmth, scents the bloom of its flow
ers, hearkens to the songs of the birds,
and even hears the huttering of but
Uerfies."
To all aspirants of literary honors
whose works has been rejected by one
publishers reader, there is this crumb
of comfort, that it Is the opinion Of
one man who may be mistaken, and
often is. Work that has been rejected
by many publishers is often a success
at last. 1t is evident that the life of
the average reader for a publishing
house is not one to be envied, though
at intervals it may have it's compensa-
tons.
A Literary Cook.
1t is to be hoped that St. Paul cooks
will not develop any tendency to write
novels as is the case with Denver
cook who has lately made fame for
herself by obtaining money prize for
a short story offered by some maya
zine. This alarming affair was
brought to the notice OF a newspaper
woman and she went to the house
where the literary cook was employed
and interviewed her in regulation style
as to how and why she came to write
the prize story. 1t seems that this
enterprising young woman was not
employed in domestic labor when she
wrote it, but was working in a de-
partment store and seeing a notice of
the offered prize wrote her story in
five days and sent it off. She was more
surprised than anyone else when noti-
fed of her success. Mrs. Sarah John
Son-Such is the name Of the literary
domesuc-belfeving that cooking is in
no way degrading, obtained her pres
ent position with a Mrs. Toll, of Den
yer, and here she presides over the
kitchen, all the while evolving more
stories in her romantic head. With the
$3.50, which she obtained as prize, and
several years savings, she intends to
retire from cooking and devote herself
exclusively to literature. Now with
out knowing anything about Miss
Johnson's ability as writer, it is evil
dent on every hand that good cooks
are more in demand than story writ
ers-indeed the over supply of writer's
of Indifferent fiction is very alarming
and should Miss johnson turn her at
tention and bend her energies toward
becoming f1rst-clasS cook, she will
not only leave her impress upon her
time, but dyspeptic generation will
rise up and call her blessed Almost
that some publisher will pay for, but
alas! how few can cook so as to make
weary householder sit up straight.
A correspondent of the New York
Times Saturday Review takes great
exception to a letter which appeared
in that paper a few weeks ago and
which spoke most disparagingly of
American writer's in contrast to Eng
fish authors who were treated to ex-
travagant praise. In the letter re-
ferred to, the critic has said: There
is no American novelist capable of
producing works like those of George
Meredith and Thomas Hardy. With all
respect to Mr.. W.. D. HoWelPs talent
he is rather a. critic than a creator.
Nor are any living American novelists
fit to be compared with Mrs Hum
phrey Ward, or Lucas Malet, or Mr..
George Gissing." This is strong Ian
guage and it is not to be wondered at
that the Times correspondent took ex-
ception to the statements. He writes
to protest and claims that James Lane
Allen, author of "a Kentucky Car
d1nal, The Reign of Law" and other
things, is greater than most of the
English writer's and comes directly af-
ter Hardy and Meredith, if not their
equal. He speaks of other Americans,
women writer's like Mrs. Margaret
Deland, Mary e. Wilkin, Mary John
son, Mrs. Wharton; among men, How
ellis and James, Charles Major. DR..
Weir Mitchell, and does not leave even
our own "Dicky'', Davis out of the list.
he further protests against the writ
ers statement that in Hawthorne we
mad our only f1rst-class writer; and
says that Bret Harte i.~classic and if
to be classic is not to be first class,
what is it? 1t is we'll for Americans
to be reminded once in way of the
IIyrif
sui nave IN this country. It has be-
come rather the habit and fashion for
us to deride what is our own and to
make true the old saying that a
prophet is not without honor save
among his own people and in his own
lana. The above names of literary
Americans is a goodly list and one Of
which we can justly be proud, as well
as OF many others not included in it.
II IS not at all unlikely that some of
the best novels of the future. will be
written by American fictionists. as
their country is full of unmined stores
OF excellent and romantic material.
The Inevitable Parody.
When Mary MacLane poured out
her soul-and her ink-to write her
absurd book, she must have known
tnat she was going to make fortune
Tor the parodiStS. In small Ways-and
most amusfngly-she has been paro-
oled IN magazines and newspapers.
put now the book, which might have
been expected, is announced to appear
from Boston publishing house this
autumn. 1t is entitled 1.-THE Story of
Lizzie Mcclure" by herself, and is the
work Of an unknown author. Some
advance sheets give an idea of the
style of the work, which will probably
md ready sale among those who
have read the original. She says:
I have decided to put down in nv
diary full account of myself and my
feelings, for I am queer am a
sweet, dear maiden Of thirty-five
summers, and I have lived in Chelsea
all my life. Surely that is enough. I
need not add, after telling that. that
my parallel cannot be found on earth
today. The only days of my life
when the barrenness of Chelsea has
seemed to brighten up *has
been the thirty St. Patrick days that 1
can wildly recall. =" AS Mary
MacLane had a great fondness for
steak, with fresh, young California
onions, SO Lizzie has passion for
adorable gray sausages which the