The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-10-06

reau her novel she ran across Il state
ment of one of the few real literary
geniuses of the nineteenth century
that the school I'm which she had been
brought up was very narrow one.
Miss Swift had accidentally struck Il
theme for story that appealed very
strongly to her. She determined to
throw off the prejudices to which she
had been educated give herself free
rein and write Mildred Swift novel
She soon became engrossed In her work.
and by the time she had half finished
1t she seemed to "walk upon the winds
with lightness"-not that she was con-
scious of the value of this moving
without effort. Indeed. she doubted If
she were producing anything Of value.
because 1t was so easy for her.
1t has been said that on Miss Swi.t's
first meeting with Mr.. Tymerson she
desired his criticism. Now that they
were lovers she dared not risk turn
ing his love into contempt by submit
ting to him any of her literary work.
In other matters she leaned on him.
this she kept within herself.
When Mildred finished the work In
which her whole being was absorbed.
she waited week to give her mind
little freedom from it, then read it
over. About the middle of the book
she struck snag. Something went
against her. She became dissatisfied
with her work. tossed it into a drawer
and left it there for some time. Then
one day she read it again. 1t occurred
to her she. might remedy the bemish
that had upset her, and she did so. The
next day. without giving herself time
to think about 1t. she started it out on
voyage among publishers. But, prin-
cipally on account Of fear that 1t might
cost her her lover. she concealed the
authorship. After her manuscript had
been returned with printed slip by
twelve publishers it was accepted by
the thirteenth.
Meanwhile Tymerson had accepted
position as book reviewer for 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 a 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.
Int ho ho 70
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 magma.
tive fiction or with realism. it is a
hodgepodge. Generally speaking. It 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 commenest principles
underlying the telling of story, might
some day produce something Of value"
Notwithstanding this criticism the
public did-though very slowly-take
a fancy to "Marcia's Problem" 1t
grew in favor and was read by all
classes. That is to say, it appealed to
both intellectual and simple minded
persons. The reasons assigned for this
by those who were disposed to ask the
question was that it 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 1t 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 II. Ty-
merson got out copy of his review.
The manager read it and said that
since it had probably been forgotten
which was true-Tymerson had better
write it up again. giving it better
sendoff. The reviewer had no option
on the matter, and, since his name was
not signed to his reviews, he wrote
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 "Marcia's Problem"
II wrote that story. dear"
You wrote it,
Ives. I wrote it.
II never heard Of your doing It,"
ITO tell the truth, dearie, when I
first met you I wanted your criticism
on my literary work But I don't
value criticism any more. / don't
think 1t possible for any one to say
what is high grade literature. Some
please what one calls the litterateurs.