The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-04-07
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HER MISTAKE.
Ivy paul ( arson.
Ivy Paul arson.
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He was the editor Of a great reliE-
ious weekly. and entitled to have ID,
D." written after his name, also other
portions of the alphabet one morn
ing. in his mail, there was a dainty
letter signed Elizabeth Eaton
Adams" 1t said;
rs there anything on your paper
that woman can do? ! used to write
for several religious papers. ! am
stranger here, recently from Delphi
and it is necessary that | should earn
something Am a typewriter but not
a stenographer.'
Mrs. Adams-she was widow
hoped that the Rev. Edward Barstow,
d. D., would remember her, Years be-
fore, he had been pastor Of the church
to which she belonged in Delhi But
she had been a quiet, timid member
combining her efforts at reforming the
world to an earnest endeayor to make
her own .igs what it should be, and
a weekly contribution to aid the
church in doing likewise.
The Rev. Edward Barstow did not
remember her, and small wonder, He
had met thousands Of more or less
prominent people since that early pas
torate, and there was nothing remark
able about Mrs. Adams. He read her
timid epistle and was distinctly bored
There were so many like 1t! Mrs.
Adams had enclosed a stamp for a re-
ply and he meant to send a courteous
note, saying that I'VE" could do moth
ing for her; but he was interrupted,
the letter was pigeon-holed, which in
an editorial sanctum means obliterated
and Mrs. Adams became a victim OF
hope deferred" waiting for a letter
that never came. Her postage stamp
was unconsciously utilized by the Rev.
Edward Barstow in accepting lecture
engagement.
As a matter of fact, Mrs. Adams had
considerable literary ability, but little
knowledge of business methods. She
could not realize that the letter so
important to her was of little conse-
quence TO a busy editor who has no
time to answer all the applications he
must negative, even If he remembers
them. SO, with the unconscious egot-
ism which is present even in modest
persons, she came TO regard herself as
having been sighted because more
important matters caused her letter to
be lost sight of,
write for a religious paper, believing
her talent should be consecrated:
therefore she waited patiently awhile
But the need of earning something
grew more pressing, and just at this
time she met a man of experience. a
pretty good sort of a man, too. one
who scorned meanness, whose honor
was untarnished, who had great
warmhearted chivalry toward all wom-
en-, but who was thoroughly posted as
to the ways of the world, and especial
ly the business world He was a cous-
in of the lady with whom Mrs. Adams
boarded. He was away when Mrs.
Adams came there, otherwise the let
ter to the Rev. Edward Barstow, D. D.,
would never have been written, for
George Hamilton had not known Mrs.
Adams week before he was in DOS
session Of the facts bearing upon this
attempt of hers TO get a living. He
laughed when the story was ended.
my dear Mrs. Adams" he said,
don't you know better than to go to
a religious paper to get remunerative
work? The average secular pubIica-
ton has rule that what is worth
printing is worth paying for, but this
rule is not always enforced by relig-
ious papers, which have their regular
corps of known writer's, and contribd-
lions from persons who think their
talents should be consecrated to their
religion, and do not look for worldly
reward. That is a high and noble be-
lief for those who can afford it, but
you cannot, and the sacrifice is not
expected from you. If the Lord has
given you talent that will enable you
to live by selling its product He ex-
nacts you to sell 1t, and If you cannot