The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-11-25
A DAUGHTERS
SACRIFICE 8 8
BxMARcEL Provost

Armand G-'s beautiful library,
after a dinner that was perfectly
planned to stimulate the minds of men
who live by their brain and pen We
spoke Of woman's invasion in the field
Of contemporary literature.
The name of "authoress" is legion in
the English language. Out of every
three novels from across the Channel
or the wider ocean two are signed by
feminine name. And the custom is
spreading in France.
v, a surly protectionist in all
matters Of art, detested the feminine
party.
Not a single one of them has shown
talent superior to the least of us" he
growled, "and they exceed the biggest
Of US in envy and vanity. | keep away
from petticoats as l would raging
fire."
Upon my word, must have been
Ilore lucky than you in my meeting of
the fair writer's" exclaimed our host.
II have the most cordial relations with
certain literary petticoats. And just
recently l was forced to make a COM
parison between one of my brother au-
thors and his opponent which was en-
tirely to the advantage of Miss Petit
coats"
We Immediately demanded the
story:
Willingly" he replied. 1T is in
structive and interesting. A scholar
would even say that it was a good con-
tribution to the chronicle of literary
feminism. I will begin at once.
Like all the rest of you, l received
a good many letters from strangers.
Many are mere waste paper. some abu-
sive, and by far the greater number
ask for help in influence or money.
These last / never read without a
twitch at my heartstrings. In the face
of the paper dated from some country
| town or eccentric corner of Paris i'm
agine l can read such anxiety and dis
tress as l once felt. a struggling writer
without genius or fortune.
why should have succeeded where
so many fail? l know well that GER
tain professional beggars write in turn
to every author. | do not care. l an
| swer each letter as it comes, If only to
say that / am powerless to help.
/ Toward the end of last year I re-
ceived letter signed by a name did
not know: Jean Seguin. He had writ
ten a novel; he wished to submit II
to me. and. II l was pleased with it.
would / help him to find a paper and
an editor?
81 answered.: Send me your manu-
script For II the reading of strange
manuscripts is one of our most tire.
some duties. l hold that it is one OF
the most imperious.
81 did not have long to wait 1t was
a large manuscript. finely written, in
feminine hand which did not seem
to me that of a professional eopyist.
81 opened II without enthusiasm-it
is so rare a surprise to discover any
thing beyond an eager ignorance. ol
at the most a certain clever imitation
read the first pages wearily: the,
were heavy and embarrassed.
Later, a situation was sketched II
curiously handled environment Evi
IDENTIFY it was a woman's own history
with real letters and incidents tha
had happened.
81 became so interested that I I'm
ished the entire manuscript at a sin
gle sitting. II was at night, I remem
Der, and the clock pointed to ten min
utes past two when at last / looket
up.
I'm the Joy Of my discovery. I sa
down and wrote Immediately to tn
author. congratulating him ani beg
!, ging him to come to see me. / toll
him he might hope for much.
Two days later. in the morning. m
faithful Constant handed me a card
"Jean Seguin, 9 rue Renouard."
The lady says that she has an en-
5 gagement with you, sir
: Il had guessed Alright; Jean SeguiI
was a woman.
"She was introduced. / saw a lad
of about %, dressed in black, with II
1 regular features, but of charmin
freshness, her face surrounded b
bands of chestnut hair that waved mai
urally. The mouth, rather large, wa
e smiling; the nose was characterles,
;, but the brown eyes, which locke
straight into mine. were deep and In
i telligent.
3" You are the author of The Mol
tai Test" mademoiselle?' I asked.
3" Yes. sir
% Good. do not like the title yo
i have chosen. but the work is full {
merit. | am surprised that so youn
a woman should have written SO we
: at the start
"T have worked for a long tim