The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-02-07
INSPIRATION
sy cora {. CRAWFORD.

Yes, and darn lucky l did, tool
was getting pretty hungry But how,
yours coming ONT"
mot coming at all I'm still hunt.
ing for the Big Idea r.
well, you can afford to take a
rest-that last check Of yours was fat
enough The ones I get are usually
just about enough for feed or two"
i Il know, Phil. That's why I'VE been
trying TO get you to put some time
into your work. Mold it, bnild II. Hon
estly. now, how long since you've had
an acceptance--before this one. |
meanT
4 "Oh, not since February, but
"And this is May Good heavens
But how many have you writtenT
'Oh, one day. Well, not on an av-
erage of that, Of course. | do write
one in a day, but sometimes do not
write thing for week or more.v
"That's no way. Phil. A writer
should work systematically. He should
plan. then construct, and reconstruct,
and, finally, polish.
Say, I'll tell you! II you've moth
ing much to do. just hop on this bus
with me, and III show you how to
harvest whole crop Of ideasi"
1t was the One Hundred and Six
ty-eighth street bus, and went via Riv-
erside, and 1t also became crowded be-
fore 1t reached Fifty-nInth street
Ideal as were the conditions however,
Phil seemed unable to make good his
promise. ~
"Wait, Wen go backl" he reassured.
optimistically. ~
AT One Hundred and Sixty-eighth
street everyone but the two ladies
ahead got of the bus Phil and Al
changed their seats. A woman and a
child got on. A man. Another wom-
an.
well, Phil, here we are at One Hun
dred and Twenty-fifth. There are six
people on the top Of this bus. Now.
where's your storyT'
Il defy anyone" began Phil, when
the bus stopped for a moment and
man and woman staggered down the
aisle on the roof and fell into the seat
Just In front of them.
They could see the bit of her SUI
perbly tailored back not hidden by the
magnificent fur she wore.
"Oh, boy, she's pippinr exclaimed
the impressionable Phil. but in a dis
Greet whisper Il say, there's your
story Beautiful, cultured girl. forced
by family into marriage with newly
rich but otherwise impossible, man,
twice her agel
Another man, II you will Real
love for puritys sake, If 1t suits you
betterl At last, rebellion. which
brings forth the mans brutality cob
serve the thick bull neck cruel iaw.)
Then, either spirit broken and resigna,
tion to life OF ugliness, slowly pin
ing away from spiritual and mental
starvation, or an uprising--creature
at bay. you know, and all that sort of
rot--cOurageously effectiDg release
from bondagei
"Or if you don't want that line
Of stuff-the beautiful daughter. reared
among the highest culture in the
land, at fashionable finishing school,
Say; then forced to home life with
uncouth. coarse, crude father, who be-
lieves thai his millions more than justi-
fy his manners-or lack of them!
Daily humiliations Private indeli-
cacies Public demonstrations Friends
visibly amused, patrOnizing or disdain-
ful All attempts TO humanize the
brute, civilize the savage, unayailing
How's that, Al? There are hun
dred and one ways 1t might end. Say,
look at him now. Beauty and the
Beast. Innocence, refinement, cul-
ture, sensitveness-"
Phil was interrupted by voice in
front She had not spoken before, but |
now that the sudden lurchlng Of the
bus had threatened to roll her burly 1
into the aisle and he had /
moved closer to her side 10 prevent |
such an indignity, she offered vocal OBJ
lection and in no uncertain terms.
"Hey shove over there, Bull What 4
flyer think / am, anywayw
II ask your pardon, ma'am," re-
turned. the big man quite politely.
That curve nearly set me OF the seat
Twa'n't built for folks my size, any
way. Well, I'll sit across the aisle
here you're safe enough. Not
lpt TO jump off the top Of this bus,
,hT laughing.
'Huh Better tie us together with
hem bracelets, hadn't yer? I'm some
title escaper, yer knowp
"Pl tell the world you are But
uess you're caught this time. I'll
axe a chance, anyhow" And he moved
Icross to the seat that had just been
Iacated~
AL chuckled incessantly. Phil sat
q flushed silence. When he could
tand II no longer he burst out: Don't
are. AL. the ideas were there. just
he same. Fiction's fiction, isn't it?-
Iot fact always. But I'll make this
cry fact fiction, see 4 don'ti I'll