Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-08-28
IS GENIUS DEvISABLE?
By HARRIEr coMLEY.

tai powers must pay n Urul'ty. 81
Nrlsuus nrr not satisfied to- work I"
"ommuu field. They struggle iul
highrr one to W hirh udmillnuCr t. d'.
MED them uutIl their nluv,s for II IS
rcrogn.cd. Aud how many "mU'r
ingluiiruS Milton" has lived ANA died
without nuy such recognition while his
uutulrntpd brother has won high po,
sitiou, The same Is often true at uue
who loves madly. The very Intensity
pr his person ruhs him uf his GOODNESS
He rrcts and fumes while II rival IN.
moved 10y sentiment lays siege TO the
maiden aud wins her by regular ap,
prunchcs.
when John Gregory went to college
he expected 10 lead his fellow students
rs he had led his Schoolmatcs aud afr.
erwnrd to lead the world ns he had
led his university associates, The
only other being he loved except him.
self was Bertha Avery, aud he loved
her far hcjlcr than himself II WIS
Rrrtha who was accountable for her
lovers self admiration. She recognized
his superior cudowm"nts and called
his attention 10 thum Therefore he
believing that through them he would
VITA aud hold her love. came to set
grrut store 10y them.
,Iuhn was graduated at the head "
his class Not only this. hut he was
the college literary light of his time
editor OF the university magazine and
winner OF all the prizes given for as
says Indeed, So marked was his sic
cess aS Il college ScribhCr that he de
tCrmiuVd To cutter Ill" field of litcra
turc. lie was never quite sure that
Bertha loved him indeed she had
never told him that she dd-and he
did not expect to make the conquest Of
her heart til he could lay n laurel
wreath ut her feet.
john entered his chosen field encour,
aged by all. There was no doubt that
he had very superior literary faculties.
He entered the editorial service of Il
. magazine for an income, proposing to
write ont Of office hours. He soon con
Cludcd that tn win the success he GOV
ctcd 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
embarraSs 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 1t
was too good for the class of readers
of that particular magazine.
! Meanwhile as editor he was accept,
ing stories of one jefferson SpnnEler
They were not to be considered rs
within the realms of literature, but
they seemed to please people who had
little or no literary taste. Spangter
was connection of Bertha Avery's,
and she had introduced him to Jonn
asking him to help one of whose liter
airy ability she had IL poor opinion, but
who was a very "aminble 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-
tion of the public to his work he main
tanned sort of indefinite understand
ing with Miss Avery. He would not
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 lie
would eventually reap the reward of
his perseverance. But. though many
of his works were recognized by Il
few as ScintilationS of genius, only
those of which he himself had an in
different opinion found their way into
print. one or two stories of marked
originality were published and attract
ed some favorable comment, but not
enough to fix the attention of the pub.
lie on the writer.
Meanwhile jefferson Spangler was
blowing in the field of mediocrity. In
time he published a novel which met
with IL moderate success. John Greg
DRY, surprised. read it, or all of it he
could force himself to read, and won
, ilcrcd. But what was his chaGrin
when the owners of the magazine with
which he was connected told him that
he ncAt issue would contain like
ness and notice OF the new literary
light" and that they had decided to
boom" him.
While Gregory had been trying to
dash in upon the pubic by brilliant
stroke humble Spanglcr had been
slowly crawling up upon It, He pos
scsscd a homcly faculty Of portraying
the common events entering into the
lives of ordinary people. Having
reached a point where capital concl ID
ed that it could make his work protita.
bic. he had nothing more to do but
wicld his pen. Capital did the rest.
Within Il few years publishers were
competing for his next novel and Of
fcring him fancy royalties for 1t.
The next chapter in John Gregory 5
life was the receipt of a letter FROM
The girl he adored announcing her on.
gngement to Spangler. Since john
had never made formal proposal for
her hand. there was no occasion for
her entering into any explanation or
apology. She did say. however. that
she was not to marry her ideal, bat
people never did that
John Gregory is getting old and IS
n bachelor. He Is second assistant cdi-
Tor of thc IOnraZiup that "bOOmpd" MS