The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-11
ADVICE TO THE
 LOVELORN
By BEATRICE FAIRFAX Who Occupies a Unique Position In the Writing World As An Author
 fty on the Problems of Idfe
By BEATRICE FARFAx.

Defeat isn't @ bad thing once you
 realize that 1t isn't final. The trouble | with most folks who try is that they
 feel the reward of effort ought to be | instant success. Success doesn't come like that. It generally arrives long after weak, impatient soul would have given up looking for it. Suppose you want to write stories.
 The way to learn to write is-to write and write some more-and keep on l writing. Ninety-nine rejection slips can't defeat any one who believes in the hundredth chance. The great
 authors and playwrights of today aren't folks who had some fairy gift which enabled them to produce a
 masterpiece in one effort. They are the folks who weren't daunted by failure after failure. They learned from each effort how to make the next a little nearer success.
 We mortals haven't wings that spring full fedged from our shoul- ders and carry us to heights. We
 have feet that must plod and stum- ble until they learn how to climb. Plugging and ploddtng are proha-
 by the two means which always lead l to the end of arriving. They hardly
 ever fail. To want to accomplish Is at least half of the necessary equip ment for accomplishm ent.
 I've never met a great success in drcssmaking acting or building houses or painting masterpieces keeping books, who hadn't arrived at his prominence by 8 long hard path of discourageing struggle.
 The point Is not to let discourage ment daunt effort.
 There is a lot of real joy in striving
 Do you remember the oft-quoted bit which says that to travel is more pleasure than to arrive. Of course when the Journey seems endless and you lose faith in ever arriving, there is little joy of the Journey. But as long as you keep your goal in view
 and retain dogged determination to
 get there In the end there must be joy of 1ourneying, however rough the passage.
 Have you ever tried to make a hat out of an old canvas frame and some
 bits of ribbon and velvet which seem-
 ed too scant to drape into the desired effect? There's a-lot of fun in trying to contrtve a full hat out of seemingly three-quarter equipment But once the problem is worked out there's
 nothing much to do but go through
 the routine of sewing and stitching. An effort is like that While there's
 the thrill of wondering if you can
 make It this t1me-wh1le there's the
 exciting possibility that you'll just miss or just hit, all work has the quality of adventure Not even the
 finished product has the thrill of the
 mom ent when success lies just around the corner-alm ost within grasp.
 We need to learn to keep on hop ing and to keep on going.
 We must train ourselves to take
 bruises to soul and body with cer-
 tain serenity. We have to get fast
 grip on our pride. And once we don't
 mind the give and take of blows which
 we and life have to exchange, we are
 bound to crown striving with success
 Genius has been defined as an in-
 finite capacity for taking pains Let's
 remember that. It's not fairy gift
 for working miracles over night. It's
 just the heavenly patience to worK
 slowly toward our own latent possi- bilities.