number containing one of your stories." 

 

 I sent this manuscript to four other periodicals, and from each of them it was returned with remarks to the effect that, although it was not a bad story in itself, it was not what they would expect from the author of "His Wife's Deceased Sister." 

 The editor of a Western magazine wrote to me for a story to be published in a special number which he would issue for the holidays. I wrote him one of the character and length he desired, and sent it to him. By return mail it came back to me. 

 

 "I had hoped," the editor wrote, "when I asked for a story from your pen, to receive something like `His Wife's Deceased Sister,' and I must own that I am very much disappointed." 

 

 I was so filled with anger when I read this note that I openly objurgated "His Wife's Deceased Sister."  "You must excuse me," I said to my astonished wife, "for expressing myself thus in your presence, but that confounded story will be the ruin of me yet. Until it is forgotten nobody will ever take anything I write." 

 "And you cannot expect it ever to be forgotten," said Hypatia, with tears in her eyes. 

 It is needless for me to detail my literary efforts in the course of the next few months. The ideas of the editors with whom my principal business had been done, in regard to my literary ability, had been so raised by my unfortunate story of "His Wife's Deceased Sister" that I found it was of no use to send them anything of lesser merit. And as to the other journals which I tried, they evidently considered it an insult for me to send them matter inferior to that by which my reputation had lately risen. The fact was that my successful story had ruined me. My income was at an end, and want actually stared me in the face; and I must admit that I did not like the expression of its countenance. It was of no use for me to try to write another story like "His Wife's Deceased Sister."  I could not get married every time I began a new manuscript, and it was the exaltation of mind caused by my wedded felicity which produced that story. 

 "It's perfectly dreadful!" said my wife.  "If I had had a sister, and she had died, I would have thought it was my fault." 

 "It could not be your fault," I answered, "and I do not think it was mine. I had no 

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