New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-08-25
IS GENIUS DEv|SABL f?
BY HARRIET coWLEY.
copyright. 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l

copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Whoever is born with superior men
tai powers must pay penalty. Such
persons are not satisfied to work in
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
inglorious 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 ap-
proaches.
When John Gregory went to college
he expected to lead his fellow students
as he had led his schoolmates and aft
erward to- lead the world as he had
led his university associates. The
only other being he loved except him
self was Bertha Avery, and he loved
her far better than himself. 1t was
Bertha who was accountable for her
lovers self admiration. She recognized
his 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
his 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 college scribbler that he de-
termined 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
he 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-
cluded 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 a 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 it
was too good for the class of readers
Of that particular magazine.
Meanwhile as editor he was accept
ing stories of one jefferson Spangler.
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 a connection of Bertha Avery's,
and she had introduced him to John,
asking him to help one of whose liter
airy ability she had poor opinion. but
who was 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 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 he
would eventually reap the reward of
his perseverance. But, though many
of his works were recognized by a
few as scintillations 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 novel which met
with moderate success. John Greg
DRY, surprised, read it, or all Of it he
could force himself to read and won
dered. But what was his chagrin
when the owners of the magazine with
which he was connected told him that
the next 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 public by a brilliant
stroke, humble Spangler had been
slowly crawling up upon it. He pos
sessed homely faculty Of portraying
the common events entering into the
lives of ordinary people. Having
reached a point where capital conclud-
ed that it could make his work profita-
BILE, he had nothing more to do but
WELD his pen. Capital did the rest.
Within few Years nnh1iShprs yuoro