The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-07-27
THE REJECTED STORY

eleven and a half hours by deciding
within thirty minutes after reading
certain sketch Of Ouida's.
AS soon as pen and ink and paper
could be procured she began work on
a story, and before sunset on the same
day it was finished and sent off to the
waiting editor of a magazine.
Like Ouida, Miss Nina didn't start
out to write for money. Her widowed
mother had been left a fair compe-
tence Like Ouida, she had sudden
desire to uplift sentiment and improve
the social status of the world around
her. Like Ouida again, she had
thoughts and she wanted the millions
to share those thoughts with her and
profit by them.
This. in way, was praiseworthy in
a girl Of twenty who had half dozen
admirers and nothing to do but to be
entertaining and handsome and wait
for the right man to touch her heart.
Unfortunately for her, the various pub
fishers didn't share in her object or
enthusiasm They were out for the
dollar inste~d Of sentiment, or for the
sentiment that brought In the dollars.
The literary effort was returned with
thanks.
If. that greedy publisher chuckled
AI.-A l.. I&AI ~~Aw
literary career In the bud by sending
back that manuscript he was very
much mistaken Some young ladies
would have stopped right there and
turned to crochet work, but Miss Nina
didn't belong to that bunch. She shut
her lips tightly and determined not to
be killed off. At the same time she
determined to kill that editor If ever
opportunity offered.
In this determination she was backed
and encouraged by Fred Waterman,
one of her admirers, to whom she
showed the manuscript and related
how 1t had been chucked back at her
as if it had been copy for family
dluuHdC. rIeu was ASpcA III LIS
speech, but that only made his voice
more tender as he said:
Miss Harper, take my word for It
that you have gone beyond Ouida even
in your first attempt 1t Is glorious!
1t is grandl 1t is ennoblingl l feel
the better man for having heard it
read
"But they didn't publish itp' pro-
tested the girl.
81 see. but it was too high class,
don't you know. It's beyond the edi-
tor. He isn't up to the sentiment of
It,"
This declaration Modified Miss Nina,
and she selected another publication
and another editor Mr.. Waterman's
generous offer to call on and punch
the head OF the first editor was de-
clined on the ground that the said edi-
tor might already have regretted bis
haste in returning the manuscript.
The story came back from the Sec
ond publication just as a request for
charity would have been returned
mot just what we are looking for"
1t hurt and Inundated. but 1t did not
quench. Ouida's first delicious little
sketches went begging. Miss Nina
shed one tear. doubled up her fists and
consulted Mr. Horace Elkins.
Mr.. Elkins was another admirer
though he didn't lisp He had on
many occasions written the menu
cards for entertainments and there
fore was a ,mired as a literary man.
He read tbn manuscript with the ut
most care, rocked at the back of each
page as he laid it down and then an
nounced his solemn verdict:
my dear Miss Harper, it is grand!
1t is a gem! Indeed, the only fault
possible to be found is that 1t is too
gemmy. The modern magazine editor
is not up to It. 1t Is as far beyond
him as Shakespeare Is beyond the av
erage farmers hired man. For no
other reason was it returned to you.
What A gem like this crowded
among the mawkish love stories In
which the heroines cannot talk ten
words without making grammatical
blunder! Heaven forDidp'
'But If they won't publish it how
can get it before the peopleT' asked
the author with anxiety in her tones.
1T could call on those editors and
call them ignoramuses and scoundrels.
1 could prove to them that they were
suppressing the brightest and most
charming thoughts of the century"
"But that would anger them"
Mr. Elkins picked up the manuscript
and carefully studied the backs of the
pages again and then sighed and
raised his eyes to heaven. He didn't
say so in so many words, but his at
titude plainly betokened that he was
out Of It,
Two days elapsed. and then the story
was sent away again. There SURELY
must be one editor in the country who
could rise to the sentiment Of it. In
due time, which was about a week, 1t
came back for the third time There
was cold blooded type written notice
inclosed to the effect that its rejection
did not signify any lack Of literary
merit, but there was no consolation In
this. Indeed, If it did not lack literary
merit, why not publish it?
This question was asked Of young
Sanger, third caller and admirer,
and he promptly replied:
Because it is Ouida over again, and
you know the jealousy against Ouida
All these magazine editors are trust
Fhey won't permit a new writer to en-
ter the field and make a reputation.
Why, Miss Harper. | once wrote a
story and sent 1t away and had it come
back on me twenty-four times. But
Tor this Jealousy l might have been a
Wilkie Collins In time, Have got the
name right? Was it Wilkie or Tom
Collins7 Have you spoken to Mr..
Granger on the matter Of the story?"
'Why, mol And that's funny, be-
cause I've heard that he was literary
man. He hasn't called here for two or
three weeks. however"
.H.e is the editor Of the very mag
azine that sent it back to you for the
third time"
'Then-then-when he calls again
And Miss Nina's eyes flashed, and
she flushed up, and she didn't have to
finish the sentence to make young
Sanger understand that there would
be something doing.
Mr.. Granger had been an acquaint-
ance and a caller for a year or more.
He had made pleasant impression at
least, and If he had not talked shop
during his calls and brought In his
literary connections It was a tribute
to his sense and modesty.
Nothing more was to be done with