Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-02-17


are scribbling were taken it would be
found that half the educated people of
the United States are trying to write
for the other half If the careers of
authors Of fiction are looked into it
will be found that those who have
achieved any enduring 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 at college and
taken a number of postgraduate
to literature, confning himself to fic-
ton. Possessing an income sufficient
to support him. it was not essential
that he at once make money out of his
profession. He reasoned that he was
in the same position as other profess
sional men who must expect to wa
a reasonable time for an income.
There are persons, especially liter
airy persons, who claim that 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. Ostrander first
fell under the influence of this school.
He wrote novels In admirable Eng
lish, 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 unavail-
able except in one instance in which
the work appeared with sale of only
a thousand copies-not enough to pay
the cost of publication.
Ostrander, hearing that while the ret
respective novel was the highest form
of literature-so considered by critics
If he wished to succeed pecuniarily
he must enter upon a more lively
school. Henceforth he made his char
acters love madly and go through fire
and water for one another. After
writing a number of these stories
without success he became discour-
aged. Spring coming on about that
time, he concluded to go south for
trip.
In Florida he met a middle aged
lady-he had by this time arrived at
middle age himself-who had come to
the south to recuperate from over
work. Miss Easton was in the employ
Of a publishing house in New York.
In other words, she was one of those
persons, already mentioned, who read
the manuscripts of other people sub
mitted for publication, at the same
time trying to turn an honest penny by
doing little scribbling for themselves.
Miss Easton happened to be one of
those women whose personality ap-
pealed to Mr.. Ostrander. A man al
ways sympathizes with a woman who
is obliged to work, and especially one
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 and luxurious plants to
warm the emotions even of middle age.
When practical man discovers that
he wants 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 helpmeet
to him In more ways than one. She
could be a 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 We're sitting
among the palms and the flowers and
the 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 on with, but had
his time to devote to literature and
was determined to succeed in 1t. When
he did doubtless they would have
money to spend, not in travel for re-
cuperation from hard work, but for
pleasure. They would go abroad
where he would be able to draw from
new scenes and other peoples what
would give him still greater fame.
Miss Easton in accepting his offer
fell into practical vein herself-in-
deed, more practical vein that that
of her lover. She told him that In Or
der to succeed an author must make
a market for his wares. He must
write what the public wish to read
rather than what the critics approved.
1t was not impossible that he might
make sudden high fight, but 1t was
not probable. Usually time was re-
quired.
In this way Mr.. Ostrander, a highly
educated man. learned from Miss Eas-
ton, who had but common school train
ing, that in all things sold for money
there are certain fixed business rules
that-though brilliant exceptions may
Occur-are practically inexorable.