Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-11-24
A DAUGHTERS
SACRIFICE 8 8
By MARCEL PROVOST

w over our cigars ana cOl1ee IN
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
d 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 | would raging
fire"
Upon my word, / must have been
lLore lucky than you in my meeting OF
the fair writer's" exclaimed our host.
Il have the most cordial relations with
certain literary petticoats. And just
recently | 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 good con-
tribution to the chronicle OF literary
femnism. | will begin at once.
Like all the rest of you, | 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
aglne | can read such anxiety and dis
tress as | once felt, a struggling writer
without genius or fortune.
why should | have succeeded where
so many fail? | know well that GER
tain professional beggars write in turn
to every author. l do not care. | an
swer each letter as it comes, if only to
say that | am poweliess to help.
Toward the end of last year | re-
ceived letter signed by a name | did
not know: Jean Seguin. He had writ
ten a novel; he wished to submit it
to me, and if | was pleased with it.
would | help him tc find a paper and
an editor?
Il answered: Send me your manu-
script For if the reading of strange
manuscripts is one of our most tire
some duties, | hold that il is one of
the most imperious.
Il did not have long to wait 1t was
large manuscript, finely written, in
feminine hand which did not seem
to me that of professional copyist.
81 opened it without entbusiasm-it
is SO rare surprise to discover any
thing beyond an eager ignorance. or
at the most a certain clever imitation.
| read the first pages YEARLY; they
were heavy and embarrassed
Later, a situation was sketched in
curiOusly handled environment. Evi-
IDENTIFY it was a woman's own history,
with real letters and incidents that
had happened.
Il became so interested that | fin
ished the entire manuscript at a sim
gle sitting. 1t was at night, I remem-
Der, and the clock pointed 10 ten min
utes past two when at last [ looked
up.
In the joy of my discovery, I sat
down and wrote Immediately to the
author, congratulating him and beg
ging him 10 come to see me. | told
him he might hope for much.
1.-TWO days later, in the morning. my
faithful Constant handed me a card:
Jean Seguin, 9 rue Renouard."
" The lady says that she has an en-.
gagement with you, sir
Il had guessed Alright; Jean Saguin
was a woman.
"She was introduced. i saw lady
Of about 25, dressed in black, with ir
regular features, but of a charming
freshness, her face surrounded by
bands of chestnut hair that waved nat
urally The mouth. rather large. was
smiling; the nose was character]ess
but the brown eyes. which luoknd
straight into mine. were deep and in
telligent
You are the author Of "The Nor
tai Test" mademoiselle? asked.
Yes. sir
Good do not like The title YOU
have chosen, but the work is full OF
merit. | am surprised thai 80 young
a woman should have written So well
at the start
L haYr worked for a long time.