The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-02-17
INSPIRATION
by CORA E. CRAWFORD.
SSSe9RSeSeSgSgS
. is,i. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicat

Congratulations, old boy. / hear
you've sold another storyv"
"Yes, and darn lucky I did, too! /
was getting pretty hungry! But how's
yours coming onT"
mot coming at all. I'm still hunt.
ing for the Big Ideal"
SWELL. you can afford to take q
rest-that last check OF yours was fat
enough The ones / get are usually
Just about enough for a feed or two"
II know. Phil. That's why I've been
trying to get you to put some time
into your work. Mold It, build it. Hon
estly, now, how long since you've had
an acceptance--before this one, l
meanr'
"Oh, not since February, but"
"And this is May! Good heavens!
But how many have you written?"
"Oh, one q day. Well, not on an av-
erage Of that, Of course. l do write
one In a day, but sometimes / do not
write a thing for a week or more"
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'll II you've moth
Ing much to do. Just hop or this bus
with me, and I'll show you how to
harvest a whole crop of ideas!"
II was the One Hundred and Six
ty-eighth street bus, and went via Riv-
erside, and II also became crowded be-
fore IT reached Fifty-ninth street.
Ideal as were the conditions, however,
Phil seemed unable to make good his
promise.
wait, Wen 60 back !" he treasured.
optimistically.
At One Hundred and Sixty-eighth
street everyone but the two ladies
ahead got off 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 T~wenty-ffth. There are six
people on the top Of this bus. Now,
where's your story2"
II defy anyone" began Phil. when
the bus stopped for q moment and a
man and oma 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 a pippin !" exclaimed
the impressionable Phil, but in a dis
Greet whisper. g" say. there's your
story! Beautiful, cultured girl, forced
by family into marriage with newly
rich but otherwise impossible, man,
twice her age!
Another man, II you will! Real
love for purity's sake, II 1t suits you
better! At last, rebellion, which
brings forth the mans brutality COB
serve the thick bull neck, cruel jaw.)
Then, either spirit broken and resigna-
tion to q 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 effecting a release
from bondage!
"Or II you don't want that line
Of stur-the beautiful daughter, reared
among the highest culture in the
land, at q fashionable finishing school,
say; then forced to home life with
uncouth, coarse. crude father, who be-
lieves that his millions more than justi-
~ his manners-or lack Of them
Daily h~umiliations! Private indeli-
cacies! Public demonstrations Friends
visibly amused, ~patronizing or disdain-
full All attempts to humanize the
brute, civilize the savage, unavailing {!
H0w's that, All There are q hun-
dred and one ways 1t might end. Say.
look at him now. Beauty and the
Beast. Innocence, refinement, Gull
ture, sensitiveness-"
Phil was interrupted by a voice In
front. She had not spoken before. but
now that the sudden lurching Of the
bus haG threatened to roll her burly
companion into the aisle and he had
moved closer to her side to prevent
such an indignity, she offered vocal OBJ
lection and In nc uncertain terms.
"Hey, shove aver there, Bull! What
dyer think I am, anyway"
Il 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
there-reckon you're safe enough. Not
apt to Jump OF the top Of this bus,
ehr' laughing.
Huh! Better tie US together with
them bracelets, hadn't yer? I'm some
little escaper. yer know"
"ril tell the world you are! But I
guess you're caught this time. I'll
take q chance, anyhow" And he moved
across 70 the seat that had just been
vacated.
Al chuckled necessarily. Phil sat
In flushed silence. When he could
stand II no lopger he burst out: Don't