The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-27


Here is some cheering news for the
Browning societies Of Boston In the
parish church in a little English viii
lage where the Browning family once
lived monument has just been erect
ed to the poets ancestor, also called
Robert. 1t reads thus:
To the memory of
ROBERT BROWNING,
OF Woodyates in this Parish, who died
November 25th, 1745,
and is the first known forefather of
Robert Browning, the Poet.
He was formerly Footman and Butler
in the BankeS family.
"All service ranks the same with God"
This tablet was erected by some of the
Poets friends and admirers, 1902.
Good Lesson in Patience.
The writer of rejected manuscript
should not be aged-which is
easy to say. Next to reading his own
effusions in print there is nothing re-
joices the heart of the literary aspirant
so much as to read the experiences of
another would be- and learn of
struggles often more heartbreaking
than his own. Miss Dorothy Farms
worth in a recent review furnishes an
amusing account of the peregrinations
of some of her stories, and there is a
lesson to be learned from her patience
ana perseverance. one SNlQenlly lives
in flat, and she records the struggles
she has to make the postman under
stand the Importance of rolls of proof
which prove too large for the letter
box, and which he is inclined to hang
upon the floor. So she informed him,
that he must whistle up and tell her
what he has, so that she may descend
in time to rescue the precious parcels
from being trampled under foot by
irreverent 1atters. So one day the
postman called up: "a roll of proof,
two returned manuscripts and a letter
that I'm thinl1in' has a check in it."
And the postman's prophecy turned
out to be true, thus the letter carrier
became a partaker in her hopes and
fears Miss Farnsworth says one Of
the greatest joys in literary career
is selling to an editor a manuscript
that he has rejected when you were
unknown She speaks of her first story,
which, she says, having won words of
praise from an editor at first, has gone
upon its weary rounds for six years
and has been rejected no less than
thirty times, but as she has succeeded
In selling story upon it's twentieth
trip she is not disheartened. 1t is clear
ly to be seen from the reading of this
article, though the writer does not say
so, that the two greatest requisites for
a successful literary career are unend-
ing patience and a liberal supply of
stamps. Above all and beyond all you
want stamps.
Miss Farnsworth records that she
used so many MONS de plume that she
was obliged to place them beneath her
own name on the letter box of the flat,
SO that the postman might not be con-
fused. This resulted in visit from
the landlord to inquire whether she
kept boarders! She even advocates a
change Of address as we'll as of name,
as 1T is bad business to allow the edi-
tors to become too familiar with a
name that is connected with rejected
manuscripts. These are some of the
tricks of the trade which Miss Farms
worth is giving away most unblushing-
ly. She says: Sign your own name to
your best work and sell the other stuff
under nom. That way lies fame and
money"
One of the terrors of the successful
writer is the press clipping bureau.
Miss Farnsworth says if one gets upon
your track you are lost soul. Every
Monday morning for one straight year
she says she received book notice
pinned to letter asking her to give
them an order for all clippings per-
tanning to her new book.
Then there are the feminine and
masculine aspirants who write and ask
you to- read their stories and have
them published; persons who come for
your advice with the firm intention be-
forehand not to take it; the autograph
fendS and dozen annoyanceS that
are suffered by the successful. But on
the whole it is quite evident that the
successful do not suffer very much and
that Dorothy Farnsworth Is
evidently one of those "boarderS" on
the mail box, Is delightful young
woman who has taken her failures in
the right spirit and lived long enough
to see the amusing side of the very
similar experiences Of most writer's.
Soul in "The Virsnian."
With the tremendous output there is
of printed matter between covers, there
is, after all, only once in a while
book, and "The Virginian" is one. Its
plot and plan have appeared too often
in print to need rehearsal here, but
those who have not had the pleasure Of
reading it should obtain 1t straightway
and burn the midnight oil If necessary
to finish it. 1t treats of the great,
broad, free life of the West in Wyom-
ing, a life without conventionalities,
without frills or pretense, where peo-
pie are human beings and not puppets.
The hero of the tale is a man who
rides straight always, and though he
has seen and known the life of a cow
puncher-and indeed is one himself
through it all he retains a native de-
cency and honor that shows him
gentleman. In this book Is brought
home to one how entirely it is what
man is that counts, not what he wears
or says or does, but the very soul Of
| him that shows forth in his life. The
| humor Of the book Is delightful, the
| repartee so natural that one is certain
it is true, and the love story is all that
| one desires 1t to be, and that is say
ing a good deal, for the love story is a
very important part of book and one
hard to dispense with, but this one
ends happily, and for this the author
! deserves the thanks of all his readers.
Who wants to read a story that does
not end happily and one in which che"
| gets "her" and they live happily ever
| after? The Virginian's resourceful
ways are pleasant to think about, and
! the manner in which he obtained the
drummer's bed, and rid the camp of
the boresome parson, are incidents that
| will bear much repetition before becom-
ing stale. If Owen Wister can write
any more stories like this one, let us
hope he will not delay but be about it
soon. 1t may not be great or enduring
literature, but after problem and sex
novels it Is like q breath of fresh air
in a hot room. The Book Lover.
st. Paul, Sept. 81, 1902.
The Worlds Work for October is re-
markable for Its wide range of interest
| ing subjects and uniformly fine illustra-
| lions. The relations of labor and capftal