The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-09-26

voyage among publishers. But, prin-
cipally on account Of fear that it might
cost her her lover, she concealed the
authorship. After her manuscript had
been returned with printed slip by
twelve publishers 1t was accepted by
the thirteenth.
Meanwhile Tymerson had accepted a
position as book reviewer for a maya
zine. He found that the stories used
by publishers who were in the bust
ness to make money were not the kind
he admired himself. He soon learned
to put his personal opinions aside and
speak well of works that sold well. He
wrote few stories, but they were con-
sidered too thin for the public taste
One day among the new books
dumped upon his desk for him to read
and review was a novel called MAR
cia's Problem" by Hester Gwynne.
He read it, but hardly knew what to
say about it. 1t was not Of the school
he considered the acme of literature,
and it was not of any other school
with which he was familiar. Person
ally he had no use for It, He resolved
to write the only criticism he had ever
written, giving free vent to what he
preferred to say.
THE book has been put together"
he said, with no regard whatever to
literary laws. 1t cannot be classed
with dramatic fiction, with imagina.
tive fiction or with realism. It Is a
hodgepodge. Generally speaking, 1t is
very bad. Nevertheless there are bits
here and there that Indicate some
ability on the part of the author. She
is doubtless a beginner who, If there
were literary schools at which she
could learn the commonest principles
underlying the telling Of a story, might
some day produce something of value"
Notwithstanding this criticism the
public did-though very slowly-take
a fancy to "Marcia's Problem" It
grew In favor and was read by all
classes. That is to say, 1t appealed to
both intellectual and simple minded
persons. The reasons assigned for this
by those who were disposed to ask the
question was that 1t was human. 1t
was also unique
1t was soon after Winslow Tymerson
and Mildred Swift were married that
"Marcia's Problem" began to attract the
attention Of the public, and this occa-
stoned an overhauling of the criticism
that had been written on It at the
time of its appearance In print The
manager Of the magazine with which
Winslow Tymerson was connected went
into his book reviewers Office one day
with copy of the story and asked
him what he had said about it. Ty-
merson got out a copy of his review.
The manager read 1t and said that
since it had probably been forgotten
which was true-Tymerson had better
write 1t up again, giving 1t better
sendoff. The reviewer had no option
on the matter, and, since his name was
not signed to his reviews, he wrote a
new criticism, beginning with the
words, '"This remarkable story, which
shows especial adaptation to construc-
ton on the part of the gifted au-
thoress'-
One day when Tymerson went home
after business his wife showed him a
check for $4,000 she had received from
her publisher sandwiched between his
two criticisms on "Marcias Problem"
Il wrote that story, dear"
''You wrote it,
Eyes. l wrote it."
Il never heard of your doing it,"
ITO tell the truth, dearie, when
first met you l wanted your criticism
on my literary work. But don't
value criticism any more | don't
think it possible for any one to say
what is high grade literature. Some
please what one calls the litterateurs.
and some please the great uneducated
multitude. have pleased the educated
masses, and that satisfies me-"
He sat down In an easy chair, look
ing very much cut up.
Don't think about 1t, lovey," said the
wife, kneeling beside him and putting
her arms about him, but give me one
little teeny weeny kiss"
He suffered her to kiss him, then
suddenly frightened up
How much is that check?" he
asked.
Twelve thousand four hundred and
forty-one dollars and twenty-five
cents"
Ao-1A--VJ