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The Fate Of A Story

The Fate Of A Story image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
February
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

An author's own valuation oí his work is süuiüthiag singularly peculiar at times. A caso iu point was tuld me the other day by an author whose work receivos tha bese couskieratiou wherever ue chooses to otïer it, writea Edward W. Bok. "1 wrote a story," he saicl, "souie flve years ago whioii I feit was mymasterpieoa. 1 fiüisbed it aud put it away for a month. The:i i road it and was dulighted. 1 took it to Mr. Alden. He thankcd mo ;uil said he would read it at oucg In a day or two he soiit it back with a politeword üf regret. I read the story aguin and was better pleased with it thau ever I took it to Mr. Uilder of The (Jentury. He prouiised to give it attsution. In less than a week it was reUimed with another polite note of regret. This timo 1 was augry, so I took it at ouco to Mr. Burliugame, the editor of Scribuer's, saying, 'Here is something yon may want. ' Mr. Burlingame in his owu polished aud digtiified way expressed his obligación at beiug permitted to read what ho telt sure must be an excellent thing. But when he had read it he cvidently did uot feel so sure, for he sent it back also. Now, tbose three rejections outrht to have oonvinoed me ihat tho story was not so good, aad I wiil say tb at I was disheartcnod. So I out it asida A rear later 1 took it up and reread it. It seemed to me wouderfully clever in plot and construction, and themanner and workruanshipseemed well uiyh perfect. So I sent it to another magazine where I waa known only by reputation. Here it staid several mODtbs beíore it was in my hands with auother note of polito regret. Then I sent it toaDOtfcer and another magazine till I bad exhausted the wholo field. None of the editors would have it. Meantime I had read it myself at loast a dozen times, and each time I vras more fully convinaed of its excellence. When thero wero 110 editors lei't to read it, I gave it to my wife. Slie read it and seemed embarrassed when I asked her opinión. Whün she realized that I really wished her to spaak, she told me frankly that she thought the story was silly and stupid. This was a blow. I then asked one of the editors, who was also an intímate friend, about the story. He said that he had thought when he read it that I had not offered it seriously, but wasplayingsome kind of a praofcioal joke on him. ïheu I went home and burned the manuscript. It had made ine unhappy tor five years, and I was relievod when it was gone. But 1 shall probably die in the belief that the best thing I ever created died before it was born. "

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News