Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-01-20
4 MANUSCRIPTS STORY,

looked over. He took me to his
study and sat down with me. first
sharpening his pencil with which to
cut me in pieces, for heard him say
that my mother knew nothing about
writing and he supposed 1.-The thing
was full of rhetorical blunders.' When
he began to read me he wore bored
look. but he had read but one para
graph before his expression changed.
AS he read on he forgot who had
written me, and when he had finish
ed he exclaimed:
by thunder!"
Then he called my mother and her
mother into his study and asked my
mother:
Where did you learn to write Eng
lish eorrectly?'
"In school"
School be hanged! There's some
thing else here that you didn't learn
at all. 1t was born in you. Send
your story out just as it is. If it is
appreciated it will be accepted, but I
don't believe it will be. 1t will come
back to you and keep coming back"
They took me away, and the moth
er said to the daughter: ''Your uncle
is sore because all his own manu-
scripts come back to him. Don't you
believe him, my dear. Your story
will be accepted, and you will get
good price for it."
The next day I was sent to the
Globe Publishing Company. 1 was
turned over to young fellow they
called weeder. He looked over the
manuscripts which came in the morn
fng's mail and out of the lot picked
one. l heard him mention the au-
thor's name. had heard it once
before. The rest OF us were Put in
the editors name to them. saying
few very nice things and thanking
our parents for sending us in.
When my poor little mother saw by
the bulk of the package that l had
been returned to her the tears started
in her eyes. Her uncle said: IT told
you so. / don't believe they read a
line OF it. However, know Simpson
& Co. They've turned down a lot of
my work, but perhaps they'll read
this if make a personal request. Let
me have 1t tomorrow"
The next day he took me to Simp-
son C Co. and had q long talk about
me with the editor. who was very po-
lite and promised to give me his es-
pecial attention. After my mothers
uncle had gone away the editor tossed
me to a weary looking man sitting
at desk covered with manuscripts
and said:
Read that"
1t was two weeks before the tired
looking man took me up in my turn,
then ran over twenty pages of me in
as many seconds and wrote on my
wrapper Declined" And so I was
sent back again to my mother, who
had hoped that her uncle's personal
effort would insure success. She was
nearly as much disappointed as at
first.
And SO continued to go from one
publishing house to another without
acceptance. Finally attracted the
attention Of an intellectual looking
editor, who wrote this criticism:
If we we're looking for literature
would recommend the publication of
this book. But as we are looking for
"best Sellers I would decline it.
However, my mother got nothing
but the printed slip when l was re-
turned, though it was couclled in just
as polite terms as the first.
Meanwhile publisher told my
mother that she would better write
something startling trile erotic,
he said. So innocent was she that
she thought he said cratic. She
went to work and turned out my
brother. Poor boy! He was deformed
in frame and intellect from birth.
Mother was very much ashamed of
him and wouldn't acknowledge him
by publishing him under her own
name. But he was published under
nom de plume and proved second
best sseller.
My mother continued to give me all
her affection notwithstanding the
fact that my brother made so much
money for her. She was now deluged
with requests for something from her
gifted pen." She sent me out once
more, and I was accepted at once, but
she refused to permit my publication
under the name which had been ap-
pended to my crazy brother. The pub
fishers would not issue me unless she
consented. to this. They offered her
large sum with that name to me,
but she was obdurate. and so I was
obliged to remain in obscurity.
Mother would write nothing more.
and at last, not making any money,
which she needed. she wrote the pub
Usher who had wanted me that he
could have sme to publish under her
fictitious name. He wrote her in re-
ply that the public had forgotten her
former book. that the character of all
fiction had changed and that If he
were to publish me under any name
whatever he couldn't sell a thousand
copies. He added: 'Your first effort
could only have been sold as by the
author of second best SELLER
And so my only opportunity passed
without my getting out into the world.
My uncle. who is now old and philo-
sophie, says that these best sellers
are q development like "stars" on the
stage. Other books. like other actors,
COUNTY PASTOR MARRIES
Ceremony of Great Interest Was