Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-08-27
IS GENIUS DEv|SABLE2
Nv HARRIET COWLEY.
Copyright. 1909. by American Press Asso-
citation

persons are not SATISFIED 10 WOTk I'll
common field. They struggle for
higher one to which admittance is de-
MED them until their fitness for it Is
recognized And how many mute
snglorious Milton" has lived and died
without any such recognition while his
untalented brother has won a high po-
sition! The same is often true of one
who loves madly. The very intensity
Of his person robs him of his GOODNESS.
He frets and fumes while rival I'M
moved by sentiment lays siege to the
maiden and wins her by regular APP
proaches
When John Gregory went to college
ne expected to lead his fellow students
as he had lcG his schoolmates and aft
erward to lead the world as he had
Jed his university associates. The
only other being he loved except him
self was Bertha Avery. and he loved
Der far better than himself. 1t was
Bertha who was accountable for her
lovers self admiration. She recognized
ms superior endowments and called
his attention to them Therefore he,
believing that through them he would
win and hold her love, came to set
great store by them.
John was graduated at the head of
mis- class. Not only this. but he was
the college literary light of his time.
editor of the university magazine and
winner of all the prizes given for es-
says. Indeed. so marked was his sue
cess as a college scribbler that he de-
tcrmined to enter the field of litera-
ture He was never quite sure that
Bertha loved him-indeed, she had
never told him that she did-and he
did not expect to make the conquest of
her heart till he could lay a laurel
wreath at her feet
John entered his chosen field encour-
aged by all. There was no doubt that
be had very superior literary faculties.
He entered the editorial service of a
magazine for an income, proposing to
write out of office hours. He soon con-
ended that to win the success he COW
eted he must furnish something in an
original vein. To swim in the great
ocean of the commonplace did not
please him. The first important story
he wrote was Il satire on certain fads
of the day. He had resolved not to
enibarrass his employers by offering
them any of his work. so he sent his
satire to another magazine. 1t was re-
turned with the Endorsement that it
was too good for the class of readers
of that particular magazine.
Meanwhile as editor he was accept
Ia
They were not to be considered as
within the realms Of literature. but
they seemed to please people who had
little or no literary taste. Spangler
was connection of Bertha Avery's.
and she had introduced him to John,
asking him to help one Of whose liter
airy ability she had a poor opinion, but
who was a very "amiable. deserving
fellow" John published some of the
young mans productions partly to IA
vOr Bertha and partly because they
helped to widen the circle of the mag
azine. At least so thought the editor in
chief and owner.
While John was experimenting with
different novelties to attract the atten
ton Of the public to his work he main
tanned a sort of indefinite understand
ing with Miss Avery. He would moi
ask for her till he had met the coveted
success. He always had something
under way or finished which he hoped
would make the expected hit. Bertha
encouraged him to push on and he
would eventually reap the reward OF
his perseverance. But, though many
OF his works were recognized by {
few as scintillations of genius, only
those of which he himself had an in
different opinion found their way int
print One or two stories of marked
originality were published and attract
ed some favorable comment, but no
enough to fix the attention of the pub
lie on the writer.
Meanwhile Jefferson Spangler wa
blowing in the field Of mediocrity. IL
time he published novel which me
with moderate success. John Greg
DRY, surprised. read it, or all Of it h
could force himself to read, and won
dered. But what was his chagril
when the owners of the magazine witt
which he was connected told him tina
the next issue would contain a like
ness and notice of the new literar,
light land that they had decided t.
Doom him.
While Gregory had been trying t
dash in upon the public by brillian
stroke. humble Spangler had bee
slowly crawling up upon it. He pos
sessed a homely faculty Of portrayin
the common events entering into tn
lives of ordinary people. Havin
reached point where capital conclu6
ed that it could make his work profita
he, he had nothing more to do bu
WELD his pen. Capital did the res
Within a few years publishers wer
Competing for his next novel and OF
fering him fancy royalties for it,
The next chapter in John Gregory
life was the receipt Of letter froI
the girl he adored announcing her ell
ragement to SDangler Since Job