The sun., 1903-03-01
4 MTXED.LETTER EPISODE.
being . Chapter From the Recoiiectious Of
q Retired Literary Man.

Whenever read said a retired literary
man, .one OF those stories that turn on the
mixing UP Of letters-as when the ardent
young lover puts in the envelope addressed
to the mistress Of his heart the defiant
letter written in answer to his tailor's dun.
and into the tailor's envelope the touch.
ing effusion designed for his sweetheart-l
am reminded of a slight experience Of
my own in the earlier days Of my literary
work.
writer, and when my articles came back
as they did with unfailing regularity.
used TO read the accompanying printed
forms Of declination with an interest less
only than that with which l would have
perused letters OF acceptance: and as
sent articles to all the periodicals Of the
country the reiectiou forms Of all Of them
became as familiar TO me a. is the title
head Of my fsvoite daily newspaper.
As for these forms. they were some Of
them short and some long, but they were
all polite and considerate Of the feelings
And sometime, the editor would honor
me with a personal note. and these letters
! priced very highly.
Il have said that I knew the rejection
forms of all the old periodicals and 30 did
/ came TO know. as we'll, the forms Of all
the new ones az fast az the new ones came
out And 1t was in sending something
10 a new publication that had the expert
ence to which I have referred
Il fixed up an article had that thought
would to especially suitable for this new
periodical on a subje strictly in line with
those exclusively considered by this pub
lication, and sent II along.
1T stayed away a long time; some weeks:
1t ltxw AaN ~ Ialo
built high hopes that 1t would be accepted;
but what | suppose was the inevitable hap
pened the article finally came back, and
with II came. not q formal printed form
but little note.
held until | had reached the third word
verses: and from that on read with mingle
feelings, in which. l am happy to be able
to say. however. that amusement pre-
dominated.
They had read my verses. the editor
said. with great interest; but-and then
he went on to say that II l would examine
their pages I would see just why they were
not available for them; the verses were birds
all right but they didn't just At their
cage: and 40 thanking me. and-and then
letter opened. The envelope had been
properly addressed TO me. but the letter
about the verses was. Of course, letter
intended for somebody else.
The sender had simply nike MS letters
up, in putting them In the envelopes. that's
all The letter for the verse man he had
put In my envelope. and. one intended for
me. very likely. he had put In his. And so
IL proved TO be.
"a the time OF this incident was living
in Illinois, the verae man. whose letter
received, In Maine. Years afterward wrote
my namo next under his on the register
OF hotel at Nahant-many stranger thiner
have happsned. But that interested me,
~ you oan imagine, very much.
The clerk knew him we'll, and his busi.
ne-sf Oil. And prosperous' Very. And
later | made his acquAintanoe; and though
we had never met we talked over old times
toset her with the keenest interest.
Tie had received my letter he remembered
" a. distinctly a. ] remembered his, and
that Incident, Il seems. had prompted him
definitely TO give up his aspirations Tor q
library career lie had been somewhat
doub ful about IL before, and getting that
letter that should have gone With some
body else's prose back with his verses had
30 pu him out ~ oonoeit with hins,lf that
Il. dropped writing re a ther. and gave
himself wholly to business With What r.-
cult l already knew,
sHs xAs kind enough 10 tell me that my
siuh hs had read always with great inter
eel aud with . peculiar intsfe~, h.oaus.
he had always considered himself since
ihs nikins ~ the ieitsrs, acquainted With
nln Aud that, of cOuf.s. ss all very
I,l.A.ins Ia Ins. but ! have Wondered sDn.-
iIIn.s slnns where 1 should IA. to-day n the
I.osig ~ : Ia letter hAd hsa oh ins tho sain.
,Geoi tLs, th. Tsnsipi ~ uins did on him