Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-10
NEW YORK Saturday

NEW YORK, Saturday.
4 WAS scarcely in my teens when my compositions
4 for the dreaded Friday afternoon exercises began
to be especially commended by my teachers, and
\ as a general rule, to be marked 1907. While do
not now bear them any malice for this marking, the
light of my subsequent justifes me in saying
that the attempt many years Of writing to keep
to that full standard supposed perfection has taught
me that never deserved The ambition to attain It
has on several occasions brought almost within the
shadow of success-almost.
But my facility with my pen saved me from disgrace
in other ways for was wretched in mathematics and
would have failed in examination time without num-
Der had not quietly written sundry papers in COM
position grammar rhetoric and English literature In
exchange for algebra and geometry.
Before left high school local paper had published
several of my essays and county magazine, devoted
to rural interests had printed three four sets of
verses.
Ny father was superintendent of the Sunday school,
and was permitted to help him select proper books
for the pupils. specially recall choice production
entitled "Bernie's White Chicken being the tale of
hen that laid incredible number of eggs which,
when Bernie had sold and invested the proceeds in
Bibles and catechisms, resulted in the salvation of
impossible number of heather in Beoochistan or
such place. and remember weeping over the death of
the missionary hen Yet was already fascinated by
Darwin Huxley Volney and Votaire.
Just before was graduated met young man, and
the attraction mutual. He had fine tenor voice
and we sang together good deal. No word of love
ever passed between us, and believe that met
exactly the plane-a thoroughly romantic and
dealized attachment, in which perfect harmony of
thought and feeling made acquaintance paradise
of exquisite pleasure whenever met. His firm
him to distant city, and have him since
Almost Immediately after this I West to visit
cousins and had Jess ardent suit
among the tall and orlwny farmers-one big and
handsome enough for Of Ouida's heroes Needless
to say, he my choice but he was already engaged
to the Other Girl and the way she camped trail
something awful.
young medical student was persistently attentive
followed me home later a1d arked to marry him.
Without being in the least in love with him fooshy
consented. We engaged for about six MONTHS
them when realized that actually expected me to
marry him in June, / became frightened and wrote
breaking the engagement He married another girl
six months later went further West is the father of
family and prosperous physician
My father poor man. and it was necessary
for me to do something to help out the family
finances. went to the editor of a morning news
paper in the city and asked to be paid for a few
and short prose contributions that had been
accepted He called me my dear child" and told
ought to get married. 1 went over to the rival
paper, and they looking for a society editor
l had assignment almost Immediately recep-
ton to distinguished at the paatial home of
millionaire. A little after midnight was back
in the Office writing my first copy 1 was filed with
delightful excitement and the dingy Office looked
as radiant to the gold and white ballroom I
had just left
After a brief trial ''on space" was placed on a
salary of $25 per week, and remained with that
paper three years. 1 had been at a boarding house
but few weeks when the manager of one of the
leading hotels offered me room and board at $50
per month. accepted. Then met a fashionable
dressmaker who wanted more custom. 1 was able
to send her two of the seasons debutantes and in
return had the present of pink ball gown MY
star went straight up into the zenith and stayed
there. loved my work and was thoroughly happy
for the first time in my fe
1t not long before was doing more than the
society writing; got up variety of copy on local
subjects, wrote book reviews features for the Sun
day edition, did summer resort gossip, reported
State conventions interviewed all visiting celeb
rites, wrote up lectures and concerts reported the
Worlds Fair at Chicago was sent to the peniten-
tiary to interview distinguished citizens and
on several occasions permitted to write short
editorial
My trip to the penitentiary visit the disgraced
banker was of strange and painful interest, as had
known him and his wife before his downfall and
frequently met them at social functions. The mo-
ment he me he burst into tears inquired after
his little boy. had long talk with him. got his story
and wrote the train all the way back AS sat
down in my hotel to finish the story the awful mean
ing of it all flashed and / collapsed in hys-
terical weeping. For many days l in my minds
eye the line of dreary striped figures and the PALE
convulsed face of the banker. Fortunately had few
such painful assignments.
At this time was writing short fiction stories for
an evening paper for which they paid SIS apiece and
also had several sets of verses accepted by New
York magazines, receiving S. and $40 for them
wrote up the golden anniversary of our business
houses for which they paid my paper $500 and me 500
for my work, and after that work in that line
came my way from time to time. The last year was
with my paper must have made nearly $1,000. for