The Cairo bulletin., 1911-06-08

Perhaps if Il census Of persons who
are y rbbling were taken ii would be
found That half the eGut atrd people of
the United States are trying 70 write
for The other half If the careers Of
authors OF fiction are Doked into It
will be found that those who have
achieved any endurin. success nearly
all gained it under similar circum-
stances. They began Young. usually
in the employ of some magazine or
newspaper Many Of them became
readers of manuscripts submitted for
publication In this atmosphere Of
mingled literature and publication
| they pass years occasionally trying to
do some work for themselves
! Melville Ostrander at twenty-five,
having been graduated ut college and
taken number of postgraduate
! courses. determined to devote himself
to literature. combining himself to tic-
ton. Possessing an income sufficient
/ to support him. it was not essential
| that he at once make money out Of his
/
! in the same position as other profess
siona men who must expect to wait
a reasonable time for an income,
There are persons. especially liter
airy persons, who claim thai the high
/ EST grade of fiction is that in which
there are no incidents, The characters
are expected TO talk their way into the
interest Of the readers. OStranCer FIRST
! fell under the influence of this school
| He wrote novels in atSnirab,e Ing
| fish. in which his characters told their
own stOry-if they had any TO tell,
which they had not--indirectly in con
versations and by giving their own
| thoughts. His novels were always re-
turned by the publishers as unayoil-
able, except in one instance in which
the work APPEARED with sale of only
Il thousand copies-not enough to pay
the cost OF publication.
| Ostrauder, hearing that while the ret
| respective novel was the highest form
of litcrature--so considered by critics
If he wished to succeed pecuniarily
|
school Henceforth he made his char
acters love madly and go through fire
and water for one another. After
| writing Il number OF these stories
without success he became discour-
aged Spring coming on about that
time, he concluded to go south for a
trip
In Florida he met middle aged
lady-ho had sy this time arrived at
middle age himself-who had come to
the south TO recupcrate from over
| work Miss Easton was in the employ
of publishing house in New York,
in other words. she was one Of those
persons. already mentioned. who read
the manuscripts Of other people sub
mittod for publication, Mt the same
time trying 20 tnrn an honest penny by
doing little scribbling for themselves.
Miss Easton happened to be one Of
those women whaee personality ap-
paaIed to MI Carander 4 man al
ways sympathIcS with Il woman who
is Obliged TO work, and especially ono
who works so hard as to endanger her
health. Together they took part in
those out Of door amusements that
may be enjoyed In the south even in
the dead of winter. They boated to-
gether and drove together, finding
something in the palmy tropical winter
atmosphere ana luxurious plants to
warm the emotions even of middle age.
When practical man discovers that
he wants a woman he begins at once
to find good and sufficient reasons why
he should marry her Mr. Ostrander
in thinking The matter over concluded
that Miss Easton would be a helpmeet
to him in more ways than one She
could he reader for him, correcting
his manuscripts, making suggestions
here and there and giving him hints
In the practical or business part of his
profession
So one day when they were sitting
among the palms ami the flowers and
tue other reminders of spring he told
her that he would be glad to lift the
burden from her delicate shoulders to
his own stronger ones. He had just
enough Income to get OH with. but had
his time TO devote to literature and
was determined to succeed in it, When
he did doubtless they would have
money to spend not In travel for re
cuperation from hard work, but foi
pleasure. They would go abroad
where he would he able to draw from
new scores and other peoples what
would give him still greater fame,
Miss Easton In accepting his Offer
fell into a practical vein herself in
deed. a more practical vein that thai
of her lover. She told him that in or
der to succeed an author must make
market for his wares. He mus
write what the public wish to rea(
rather than what the critics approved
1t was not impossible that he nigh
make a sudden high flight, but 1t was
not probable. Usually time was re
quired.
In this way Mr.. Ostrander, a highl,
educated man, learned from Miss Eas
ton, who had but common school train
ing, that in all things sold for none!
there are certain fixed business rule
that-th0ugh brilliant exceptions ma!
occur are practically memorable.
Soon after their return to the nortI
they were married., Mrs, Ostrandc
then told her husband that the puh
| Itching houae gl1e had been with yea