Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20

to look at some young trees
a nurseryman was planting
for me at Kennebunkport.
He was hale, outstanding
man, who could run mile, eat any
thing, fell an OK at blow He looked
at me as stod there, hump shouldered,
blinking at him, and said:
"sYou been at your writin', I guess
YES admitted.
''He regarded me with certain visit
ftn envy"
.Gosh, but wish could make a
liyin' just sittin' around dom nothin'
but writin',' he said. No, sir; I got to
work
And that" Mr.. Harrington added,
ais just about the way most persons who
earn an honest living feel about writ
ing. At least that's the way they feel
If they haven't tried themselves to earn
o living by writing.
Those who have tried it, however,
know that it is likely to be a miserabiy
discouraging and up-and-down profess
sion, and nobody ought to make pro-
fession of it until he has made it pay.
1t is fortunate for the would-be writer
to be in a position where he can treat
his writing as side line and see what
luck develops-so much is luck--in the
way of acceptance and remuneration.
Sending a manuscript out is like
sending little ship on trading voyage.
Much depends upon the wind and the
weather The first manuscript, of
course, is the most difficult to wedge
ini it's mean time for writer, those
beginning days, but it's time that just
has to be gone through with and gall
lantly borne After the first manuscript
to place the others.
GtOF course, there are times when the
world locks black and writer is
oppressed with that low feeling that
makes him think he'll never make
success of his work. But the low feel
ing is part of the job. 1t shouldn't be
allowed to affect the general outlook,
for no one who works in any art can
avoid having low days. The only per-
sons of my acquaintance who don't
have them are the unprohcient.'
In the quarter of a century since Mr..
Harrington published his first novel
hundreds of writers and would-be writ
ers have sought his advice until manu-
scripts. most of them entirely unsolic-
tied, have burdened the postmen at
Kennebunkport and indianapolis. The
acknowledgement of these alone is no
small task, and with his usual gracious
and kindly manner toward those who
impose upon him Mr.. Harrington looks
each manuscript over and reads those
that seem to him to hold even slight
promise. But the results of the years
of reading are not encouraging.
IT try to be useful to the writers When
that's possible" Mr.. Harrington said, g
a rare and pleasant experience to come
a manuscript that has the promise Of n
practical and important development on
of the writer. There's something of the
in every old craftsman, however, wheth
a prizehghter or an artist, and he has
ward for whatever help and advice Ii
in the performance of the young con
picks as good ones; his pride in them is
his pride in himself Tor vanity for
them Shows he has an eye.
1--WE read, in the many years since
first printed. myself, probably some thS
of unpublished manuscripts by unkno'
thors. Among all of these, I think alb
showed a true gift for writing. But, of
a SIII 1tSeII BetS IiUWLeTe OIll6SS tUS ~
has the power and the desire to VOL
sistently to back it up"
AS to the reason for the apparently Ill
desire to break into print, Mr.. Tarking
fers some interesting theories. Sometim
the desire to earn money by lust
around" as the nurseryman expressed il
as any income tax report will show, tn
many methods of earning much more
in much less time than it takes WI
:'arrive" and become financially sue
More often 1t is a desire for self-exp
which accounts for the large number I
els-unpublished- on the writer's @
perience. And probably most of all it
yearning for fame, Mr.. Harrington thin
THE men who win the greatest suct
not start out merely to win FAM
says. What Napoleon really cared abo