The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-10-06
DR.. BRTTON GETS ADVICE:
sr IAsE ossoRnE.


oreez Il = q uncovered only after Of
ice hours we're over and when there
was reasonable chance that the doctor
would not Be called out again before
besti1e summoned him % his apart
ueut three stories above his once-
For Doctor BritOn IS uEch as he
llked his profession as a means q
making money, paying rent and o1er-
ing g means Of putting away an IN
GezsIng little fortune, felt in bis
heart Of hearts that Providence had
designed him for The gentle ar Of let
terz. When his hunch had first come
70 hin lie had dreams Of writing a
PLAY. Later a novel seemed TO be the
pinnacle Of his ambition Then he
felt that Il the field Of short stories in
the better class Of magazine he might
ind an outlet for his ambition He
believed Arnold Bennett, who says that
q writer writes because he feels "the
miraculous interestingness Of the uni
verse" He felt that he, too, was
charmed with mere existence. But IL
was never his feeling for the interest
fngness Of his work and life as a doc
tor. but an interest Ia the realms Of
his Imagination. Perhaps that is why
none Of the manuscripts that he had
l~aboriously composed and even more
l~aboriousIy typed out had been &C
cepted He wouldn't have dreamed
Of letting a typlst read them Hard
enough was II for him 70 think that a
strange editor would have TO glance
az them. AS a matter Of fact they
never reached the hands Of an editor.
The first paragraph glanced over by
the first reader usually consigned
them TO the hands Of the manuscript
clerk 10 return.
Doctor Brlton felt that II he could
once get TO an editor who would make
careful criticism Of his stories he
would find enough encouragement 10
do better things.
Someone had told him once that an
appealing letter sent with d manu-
script sometimes moved a kind-heart-
ed editor TO look with favor on an
otherwise u-nlnteresting manuscript.
II the story that was sent of the next
day was not one Of thrilling appeal
the same cannot be said Of the letter
that went with 1t.
s'T am a poor, struggling medical
student" he wrote. ''and for that rea-
son l am especially anxious TO help
pay my expenses by writing. / real
ize my limitations and / have Eve
written for publication, but win be
most appreciatiye Of any help or sug-
gestions you can give me"
The doctor appeased his conscience
for this falsehood by promising that
whatever money he did receive as a
result Of this letter he would double
from his own pocket and give to some
struggling medical student who might
need it.
The letter did bear fruit, although
the manuscript that went with it came
back with the answer. This answer
was from the fiction editor Of the pop
uIar periodical to which the doctor
had made his appeal. He signed him
self J. T. Barton.
81 am writing to you personally"
the letter ran, mot because / wish to
accept the manuscript you sent or
any other manuscripts like IL. Fol- /
do not
my advice to you Is this: Find
the material and the inspiration for
your writing from the work you are
doing. Find 1t In the classroom, In
the clinic, In the d~ispensary, the hos
pital. Seek the things that are really
humorous, really pathetic. Every time
you smile or laugh sincerely put the
reason for II down In your notebook.
Every time you feel your heart cords
melt remember II, and remember why.
Try to catch these fieeting human
emotions as they pass and, having
caught them and made them yours,
work to express them in writing for
others. And In the meantime. stop
trying to make your stories sound like
well known best sellers. II is the
worst and the most frequent mistake
Of young writer's.
eff you follow this suggestion you
may WTltS bOiueLuIuS we Wish W uuys
Because you are working for your edu-
cation l shall give all your further
stories a personal reading"
The doctor read this letter first with
a little resentment at the frank criti-
cism Of what to him seemed to be a
masterpiece. Then when he read the
letter again he realized the business
Of II. II set him thinking, and for a
days rounds In his practice he fol-
lowed the advice and kept track of
all appealing Incidents.
One night a month later he shut
himself In his study and wrote. wrote
till after his m~ethodical bedtime, and
when dawn came 1t found him at his
desk going over for the second time
the manuscript which he had worked
on through the night. The next night
he struggled through a revision and
the night after he sent 1t TO ]. Il. Bar
TON A waak later came the rQDiy-