Bisbee daily review., 1911-03-02

 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 fl under similar cireum- 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 oi 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 number of postgraduate courses. determined to devote himself to literature. cOnhning himself to fc- 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 inc same position as other profes- sional men who must expect to wait a reasonable time for an income.
 There are persons. especially liter- ary 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 feii under the influence of this school He wrote novels in admirable Eng fish. in which his characters told their own story-if they had any to tell which they had indirectly in con yersations and by giving their own thoughts His novels were always re turned by the publishers as .unavaii- able. except in one instance in which the work appeared with a 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 peeuniarily he must enter upon more lively school. Henceforth he made his char acter3 love madly end go through fire and water for one another. After writing 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 hinself-who had come 10 the south to recupefate from over work Miss Easton was in the employ of a publishing house in New York. 1 In other words, she was one of those 1 persons. already mentioned, who read the manuscripts of other people sub mitted for publication. at the same 1 time trying to turn an honest penny by doing q little scribbling for themselves. ] Miss Easton happened to be one of ! those women whose personality ap- ! pealed to Mir 0strander. 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 ia the palmy tropical winter atmosphere and luxurious plants 10 warm the emotions even of middle age.
 When q practical man discovers that he wants a woman he begins at once to find good and sufficient reasons why he should marry her. MT. 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 were 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 otgn stronger ones. He had just enough income to get on with, but had his time to devote to literature and was determined 70 succeed in it. 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 a practical vein herself-in- deed, a more practical vein that that of her lover She told him that in or der to succeed an author must make market for his wares. He must write what the public wish to read rather than what the critics approved It was not impossible that he might nlake a sudden high flight, but it was not probable. Usually time was re- quired
 In this way Mir. Ostrander. a highly educated man. learned from Miss Eas- ton. who had but common school train
 ing, tlsat in all things sold for money there are certain fixed business rules that-fhough brilliant exceptions may I, ! oecur-are practically inexorable.
 Soon after their return to the north
 they were married Mrs Ostrander
 then told her husband that the pub
 fishing house she had been with was
 getting out a simple little story of
 hers in book form. It turned out that