| | 1 | Author: | Holland
J. G.
(Josiah Gilbert)
1819-1881 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Miss Gilbert's career  | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | | Description: | Dr. Theophilus Gilbert was in a hurry. He had
been in a hurry all night. He had been in a hurry all
the morning. While the village of Crampton was
asleep, he had amputated the limb of a young man ten
miles distant, attended a child in convulsions on his way
home, and assisted in introducing into existence an infant
at the house of his next-door neighbor—how sad
an existence—how terrible a life—neither he nor the
poor mother, widowed but a month, could imagine. “Gentlemen:—Will you allow me to call your attention
to a novel, just completed by my daughter,
Miss Fanny Gilbert, entitled, `Tristram Trevanion,
or, The Hounds of the Whippoorwill Hills, by Everard
Everest, Gent.?' I am not, perhaps, a reliable judge
of its merits. Paternal partiality and exclusive devotion
to scientific and business pursits may, in a degree,
unfit me to decide upon the position in the world of art
and the world of popular favor it is calculated to
achieve. In fact, I have not relied upon my own judgment
at all. The book has been read to competent literary
friends, and their voice is unanimous and most
enthusiastic in its favor. The impression is that it cannot
fail to be a great success. With your practical eyes,
you will recognize, I doubt not, in the title of the book,
the characteristic poetic instincts of the writer, and her
power to clothe her conceptions in choicest language.
We have concluded to offer this book to your celebrated
house for publication. It is our desire that it
may come before the public under the most favorable
auspices—such, in fact, as your imprint alone would
give it. I think I can promise you the undivided support
of the local press, as I certainly will pledge all
the personal efforts on behalf of the volume which my
relations to the writer will permit me to make. I
may say to you, in this connection, that I have a large
medical practice, extending throughout the region, and
that I know nearly every family in the county. Please
reply at once, and oblige, &c., &c. “Dr. Sir—Yours about book Tristram, &c., rec'd.
Novels except by well-known writers not in our line,
and we must decline. “My Dear Sir—Your favor, relating to the manuscript
novel of your daughter, is at hand, and has been
carefully considered. The title of the book seems to us to
be exceedingly attractive, and, in a favorable condition of
the market, could not fail of itself to sell an entire edition.
Unfortunately, the market for novels is very dull
now, and, still more unfortunately for us, our engagements
are already so numerous, that were the market
the best, we should not feel at liberty to undertake
your book. We could not possibly make room for it
and do it justice. Thanking you for your kind preference
of our house, we remain, “Dear Sir—I have carefully read your daughter's
manuscript novel, `Tristram Trevanion,' and find
it quite interesting, though I doubt whether it can
ever achieve much success. I should say that it is a
very young novel—written by one who has seen little
of life, and much of books. The invention manifested
in the incidents is quite extraordinary, and displays
genius, though the characters are extravagant. But I
do not write to criticize the book. Worse books have
found many buyers. I accept it on the terms upon
which we settled, as it is; but there are one or two
points touching which I wish to make some suggestions.
The hero, Tristram Trevanion, does not marry Grace
Beaumont, as he ought to do. I think I understand the
public mind when I say that it will demand that this
marriage take place. It could be done by altering a
few pages. Again, I think that the public will demand
that the Jewish dwarf, Levi, be made in some way to
suffer a violent death at the hand of Trevanion. One
word about the title. I confess to its music, but it
seems to me to be so smooth as to present no points to
catch the popular attention. Besides, I find that the
`Hounds of the Whippoorwill Hills' make their appearance
but once in the story, and have no claim upon
the prominence given them on the title-page. Your
daughter will think it very strange, no doubt; but I believe
that the sale of the book would be increased by
making the title rougher—more startling. How does
this look to you—`Tristram Trevanion, or Butter
and Cheese and All;' or this—`Tristram Trevanion, or
The Dwarf with the Flaxen Forelock'? There is another
course which is probably preferable to this, viz.: that of
making a title which means nothing, and will puzzle
people—a title that defines and explains nothing—bestowed
in a whim, as we sometimes give a child a name.
What would your daughter think of `Rhododendron,'
or `Shucks'? “This night I take one of the most important steps
of my life. My father and I have had a long conversation
about you, in which he has endeavored, by promises
and threats, to make me renounce you, and break my
pledge to you. I have reasoned with him, besought him,
on my knees begged of him to relent, but all to no purpose.
He forbids you the house, and commands me to
renounce you forever, or to renounce him. He was very
angry, and is implacable. I have taken the alternative he
offers me. I shall leave New York to-night. I leave
without seeing you, because I fear that an interview would
shake my determination; but I am yours—yours now,
and yours forever. I shall go where you will not find
me, and, if you love me—ah! Frank, I know you do—
you will make no search for me. I shall not write to
you, because money will buy the interception and miscarriage
of letters, but I shall think of you, and pray
for you every day, nay, all the time. “Come! | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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