The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-09

paths oil literature, ana certainly some
of the things he says are worth while,
from an editorial standpoint. And
looking at these things from the edit
or's viewpoint one wonders whether
these would-be writer's ever stop to
think what busy men editors are, what
bored and weary men they are. Per-
haps if they did so they might make
their letters shorter, more to the point
and refrain from telling their entire
family history, and the story of their
lives every time they submit manu-
script.
The editor of the Bookman says that
the task of reading all the articles sub
mitted to q firSt-claSs magazine is
large task in itself, and when there is
long letter attached to each one with
tiresome details of how "a cousin once
told me that he had met you and
you seemed to be just the man for me
to tell my literary longings to, and for
years l have desired to see myself in
print and it runs in the family etc,
etc, until the editor YEARLY wishes
that her grandmother had died be-
fore she was married and the line had
become extinct. The ditor of The
Rookman very sensibly says that if
you really think you have talent for
writing and have written something
you consider worth while, the best
way to find out is to submit it to an
soon as he conveniently can. But
please remember that your letter Is
one of hundreds, and only one of hun
dreds to him. There is no pull with
magazine editors, as has been so often
stated; a manuscript is judged on its
merits alone, and no amount of pa
thetic family history will induce him
to publish it if he doesn't like it and
doesn't want it. The editor of the
Bookman reiterates that there is no
resemblance between politics and lit
erature in the matter of pull con-
Scientious editor will not publish the
screed of his wife or mother if he
does not consider it meritoriouS. And
this not because it will hurt the SEN
der of the manuscript, but because
it hurts his reputation as an editor,
and ten times out of twelve he is
working on u salary for some company,
and is responsible and held account
able for the value of the matter in
his magazine.
Life Not All Sunshine.
How long would an editor last who
would print a lot of trash because he
felt sorry for the writer's of it, or be-
cause Il am very poor and not know
ing how to do anything else 1 thought
l would write" An editors life is not
a happy one. How would one of the
makes it possible tor thousands of
persons all over the country to write
him long letters, inclosing awful poems
or impossible stories, which in honor
he is obliged to read? For the editor
is naturally on the lookout for new
talent, fer undiscovered genius, and he
is quick TO recognize it. To think of
the yards of poetry he must read makes
ones heart go out to him if for moth
ing else When a writer desires to sub
nit a manuscript to an editor his best
way is TO send it with as few words
as possible and incloSe stamps for its
return. Never forget the stamps; for
get the manuscript if anything is for
gotten. bat send the stamps. You can
not expect the editor to spend his
money to inform you that you have
missed your vocation and should go
to chopping wood.
This formula is a good one: eff the
inclosed article is not desired at reg
ular rates, please return to -"
1t is brief and TO the point and tells
all that is necessary. If the editor
likes what you have written he is mare
likely to take it than if you had con-
fided to him that your father is dead,
your mother has rheumatism and you
must do something to support the fam
lily. Then when you are inclined to
caVil and think the editor is heartless,
er for him to have TO crush out your
hopes than it is for you, because lie
Is doing it every hour in the day, and
if he should run his business entirely
by sentiment he would not last a week.
In word, be as sensible and practi-
cal in literature as if it was any other
business. The aSpirant who thinks it
strange that the editor doesn't buy
what he doesn't want, certainly would
not purchase what he did not want
from every one who offered him some
thing. In speaking of the different
classes of articles submitted, the tdi-
tor of The Bookman says he divides
them into two classes, those that are
found impossible at a glance and those
that are put aside for future consider
alton and are quite likely to be Ic-
tanned. 1t is we'll for publishers occa-
slonally TO print some good advice like
The BoOkman has this month, for it
sometimes saves amateurs a heart
ache and incidentally the editor much
valuable time.
Too Much Introspection.
The following up of Mary McLane's
ridiculous book by the journal of
Arthur Stirling is rather alarming to
those who watch the signs of the times
in matters literary. Are we to have
an epidemic of morbid, erotic journals
kept-by unappreciated geniuses, turn
ed down by hard hearted editors who
90 not know a genius when they see
one? This journal of Stirling does
not ring true according to the critics
and 1t is very doubtful whether there
ever was an Arthur Stirling Its au-
thor is probably some sharp person
who realized that the public likes in
prospective rot like Western Mary's,
and While the craze lasts he proposes
10 profit by it. 1t is told of Arthur
Stirling" that While he possessed lit
erary genius of q remarkable order. he
was very short of hard cash. which a
genius needs more than most, and in
order to earn the common necessities Of
life was obliged at last to take a DO
Sluon as street car conductor in New
york, deVotlng his spare hours to the
composition of poems. His great work
was entitled THE Captive" and Cpcn
this concentrated his powers until he
himself felt he had composed a mas
terpiece. In brief, the story is that
While composing this work and for a
snort time after it's refusal by an edi-
tor, he put down in this little book his
thoughts and then saying good by 10 a
cruel world that did not want his poem
threw himself into the Hudson river
and was no more. 1t is not recorded
that his body was ever found. but his
80 N''S, anu Is uOW OHGr6Q as
proof of his astounding genius and in
cldentally monument to the Grass
stupidity of the editor who refused
The Captive" 1t is now time-in CT
der to round out the tale-for the
aforesaid editor to jump into the river
after Stirling. But the difficulty seems
TO be in placing the editor.
The journal is erotic nonsense. but
there is class of persons who are al
ways ready to cry genius" when some