The Little Missioner Author:Nina Wilcox Putnam General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1915 Original Publisher: D. Appleton and Company Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where... more » you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV WHITE RUFFLES AT eight-twenty-five next morning, the pleasant, low-ceilinged breakfast-room at Meadowsweet was filled with spring sunshine, the aroma of coffee, and a rapid crossfire of talk between John and Ruth. About them hovered Greta, a massive blonde, heavy of speech and step, intent that Ruth should remember to eat. " No more, Greta," said Ruth firmly. But Greta was obdurate. " Take some more," she implored, piling cakes upon Ruth's plate as she spoke. " Now I go by the cellar and get the cat food; then I eat." With which she curtsied herself out, and Ruth resumed the temporarily broken thread. " It isn't that I don't want to do something better; it's the public won't let me." " You mean you're afraid to try itl " accused John. " It's what they all say. I never yet knew an author to say otherwise." " No, it's that they won't let me," she maintained. " The public likes trash." " You say that because your stuff sells so well," he retorted. " But they'll take to better stuff if you give it to 'em! " " Huh! How'm I going to put it over? " she demanded. " Who'll publish it? " "If you make it good enough they'll publish it all right! " said John. " Never, unless you kill an editor and disguise yourself in his clothes," declared Ruth, laughing. " Why do you keep looking at the clock? " "I wasn't," lied John. "Ah -- hem! it's all this question of shifting responsibility again. You won't write good stuff because the agent says the editor won't take it, and the editor says the agent don't give him good stuff, and the owner says the edit...« less