The Washington herald., 1913-05-10
INTERESTING PAGE FOR WOMAN AND THE HOME MAN.
THE WRITER'S REWARD
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

u
picture of a writer who had arrived
and was really known to fame. he sat
in his own garden, under a oeautifui
nature canopy Of green, with bros ana
flowers and the softest summer breeze
whispering inspiration AT every tuIn'
There. with his paper-strewn work taole
before him and with the very SKIES seem
ing to smile a blessing, his easy thoughts
few along, and he counted 1t his favorite
workshop.
And as the woman took in all the in
snirins details and thought Of the work
that looked so very inviting, she said to
herself that Of all the delightful pro-
fessions to enter that Of the author easily
held the palm. For what otner work
could be done under the spreading trees,
with beautiful nature conspiring to help.
and with the money readily pouring In
in great lump sums and in comfortable
ROYALTIES? 1t might be hard to make
start and to be recognized as a real lit
ersrv somebody, but once having earned
the applause Of the public, the going was
sure TO be delightfully."- easy. And then
think of the gold at the end OF the hook!
Oh. yes, writer-folk had a lovely time,
with whole seasons between of nothing
10 do but collect their royalties.
Another story.
But the other day, with the picture OF
the garden and the brilliant author still
fresh in memory, the same woman
stumbled upon a book made up OF con-
tributions concerning successful and mod
erately successful writers, some giving
their own experiences in their own terse
way, others writing at second hand.
And when she had finished reading II
the woman who thought it charming to
sit under the trees and breathe In IN
spiratio and mighty pleasant 10 i've on
well-earned royalties, was led 10 oeIeNe
that the gardens were rare ana the roy
alties not at all royal.
There's the book of the year. TIE
hook that everybody reads, the story
listed among the best sellers 1T is not
long before its brief popularity is over,
and as TO the royalties they become just
nretty dreams Some one has undertaken
TO figure il out. and he says that the
novelist who is counted more than oroi-
narily successful is lucky indeed II the
work of his brain yields the princely sum
Of $3.50 for three months earnest enort:
If that is so, there are more lucratic tools
than those that are handled by the aver
age maker Of hooks. and except for tne
very few il is not at all practical to SIT
under dreamy skies and weave pretty ro-
mances If one hopes to win bread ana
butter from the weaving.
Yet the garden, the writer, and all
alluringly inviting!
But, alas, for our dreams. sterner.
rougher tools, oftener than not. win more
money laurels than do pen ana INK.
And as to journalism
They tell us that practically every
Young graduate who does not know where
else 10 turn for a profession thinks or
journalism, in one phase or announcer, ds
oasv. SORT of honor-conferring, and right
lucrative, once by comfortable stages ne
gets to the top.
Rut practical men and women who have
travelled the journalistic road are not at
all enthusiastic about the ease, the honor'
the financial independence, or the COM
Portable stages OF newspaper Work.
Warn. WouId-be Writers.
From a woman writer whose name is
familiar in newspapers and maeaZlnee
and who has reached a pretty profitable
writing port. there comes stern advice
10 the girl who hopes to make gooo
with her pen She warns the woman VINO
is entirely dependent upon ner own Ell
forts that she must combine Wrltlne Win
more practical work, something that Will
keen a roof over her head until she
Yields the pen with such dexterlty lhat
financial returns are sure and regular.
And she adds that il the Won is odI-
qerouslv close to the door, ii is safer 10
Gobt him with some other weapon than
the min. because she is likely to 1all-
better the needle, the fryingpan, or the
IRON she says
And some folk build charming air cas-
Ties and dream wonderful dreams ABOUT
their prospective journalistic careers
And they see themselves not only grown
famous. but enjoying princely incomes py
=, feu, hours' work on daily newspaper
navbe they picture themselves wrltlhS
under the open sky waiting Tor tresh
IDEAS 10 bud and blossom on sunshlnv
DAYS. and always salaries stand out III
big, bold figures
But the practical, strenuous, nerve
rarked writer tells them to temper their
dreams and to tone down their pictures
for success and big incomes are $40"
enough coming in the newspaper "orio'
Dreams Die Ont.
And. hearing their stories of hard. hard
work and of dreary waiting, the thought
Of gardens. of summer skies, and of other
beautiful settings fade away, and the
dreams of big incomes die out with them
For these earnest folk who have been
through the journalistic school of expert
ence caution the beginners that the path
of the newspaper writer runs along no
sweet bed of roses. They cannot walt
for inspiration to fire them, but must
write whether genius burns or whether
il falls Iifeless: must write whether up In
the clouds or down in the dumps-for the
newspaper day never fails to dawn.
And il all their hard-luck stories are
true, there is little enough glamor and
less OF financial glory for the hapless
folk who depend for a living upon their
magic with pen and ink.