The sun., 1908-11-22
THE YOUNG AUTHOR.
One Way OF Returning Manuscripts That
Crates on tho Nerves.

+This.' said the struggling young
author. lis only a little thing. matter
of detail, but don't you know it is often
little things that worry us most?
All the publishers TO whom I send
stuff as regularly return it. and Of that !
have no complaint. have no doubt
that sooner or later shall get them all,
and their sending it back now doesn't
disturb me in the least; but there is one
publisher whose utterly methodical man
ner OF returning rejected manuscripts
does l admit, get on my nerves.
Different publishers have different
ways. / send to one, for instance, and
he keeps the manuscript about month,
month TO me Of delightful uncertainty.
He knows perhaps what he is going to do
with my manuscript the minute he gets it
but he doesn't hurl it back at me that
moment with promptness that implies
a vigorous rejection. No. He keeps it
about month.
"Of course know that he may not even
look at 1t for month. When my manu-
script comes in he may tuck it under a
pile of other proffered contributions,
to be looked at when he comes to II. and
when in time he does come to 1t he may
reject it with amazing suddenness; but
you see don't know that. For all know
he may be mulling over it all that time
trying to make up his mind whether he
had better use it or not; and then finally
he returns it; but. l repeat. that month
Of waiting Is to me month Of delightful
uncert ainty.
"And then there are publishers to whom
/ send who send back In three weeks or in
ten days or a week. though not in any case
with exaotness, as at the end Of fixed
period, but there Is one publisher who
sends back with utterly methodical regu-
larity at the end of five days. routine
from which he never departs. and this
really does ruffle me little.
"Let me send him something on the third
day Of the month and get 1t back on the
eighth; IL / send something on the eleventh
get it back on the sixteenth; II send on
the twenty-second get it back OH the
twenty-ssventh; il never fails and this
utterly methodical, systematical. unfail-
ing regularity does. / will confess, crate
a little on my nerves
And ! know that this is all well in
tended too. j have an idea that in this
businesslike establishment manuscripts
are looked at on the day they arrive.
But the gentle hearted publisher when he
has read manuscript that he finds to be
no BUOu uotSn Vaht w nun thO iVoihfbb
Of the writer by sending 1t back in a min
ute No. he says to himself, We'll hold
this few days and than send it back;
and how that unfailng regularity in the
manner of return comes in / figure out
in my mind something like this
4On his desk this publisher has a series
of gigantic pigeonholes, numbered to
81, forthe days OF the month. Then when
IN pursuance ui ills kins.iy plan he has
read something that he doesn't want he
puts it in the pigeonhole whose number
Is five days ahead, and the office boy
does the rest. Every day the Office boy
comes along and cleans out the box bear
ing the number OF that date and dumps
the mail he finds in it In the post Office
"That's the way | figure 1t, and it's all
done with the beSt intentions In the world;
but the intense regularity. Of II oil, the re-
morseless alreness Wifi which those
things come does. will admit, worry
me little.
"Still we mustn't lot simple little things
like that disturb us, and l have>no doubt
that shall get this man yet, and when
| do get him ] have no doubt ] shall find
him as methodical In paying as he is In
sending back
P0LYGLOTS IN COLLEGE PLAY.
Comedy at Michigan 70 Embrace Stu.