The door swung open. In the doorway stood a negro child, barefooted and naked except for a single garment, eying them with serious, rolling eyes--and, with all the strength of his two puny arms, proudly but solemnly tolling a small, rusty cowbell he had found in the cowyard.
[86] Copyright, 1912, by the Curtis Publishing Company.
Isaac Frederick Marcosson, editor and author, was born at Louisville, Kentucky, September 13, 1876, of Jewish ancestry. He was educated in the public schools of Louisville, and attended High School for a year. In 1894 he entered journalism, joining the staff of the Louisville _Times_, of which he was subsequently literary and city editor. In 1903 Mr. Marcosson went to New York, and became associate editor of _The World's Work_; and in connection with this work he served its publishers, Doubleday, Page and Company, as literary adviser. While with _The World's Work_ he wrote many articles on topics of vital interest. From March, 1907, to 1910, Mr. Marcosson was financial editor of _The Saturday Evening Post_ of Philadelphia. For _The Post_ he conducted three popular departments: "Your Savings"; "Literary Folks"; and "Wall Street Men." Every other week he had a signed article upon some subject of general interest. Some of his articles upon "Your Savings" have been collected and published in a small book, called _How to Invest Your Savings_ (Philadelphia, 1907). Mr. Marcosson's latest book, _The Autobiography of a Clown_ (New York, 1910), written upon an unusual subject, attracted wide attention. A part of it was originally published anonymously as a serial in _The Post_, and the response it evoked encouraged Mr. Marcosson to make a little book of his hero, who was none other than Jules Turnour, the famous Ringling clown. Jules furnished the facts, or part of them, perhaps, but Mr. Marcosson made him more attractive in cold type than he had ever been under the big tent. _The Autobiography of a Clown_ deserved all the kind things that were said about it. Since 1910 Mr. Marcosson has been associate editor of _Munsey's Magazine_ and the other periodicals that are owned by Mr. Munsey. His articles usually lead the magazine.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. _The Bookman_ (April; June; December, 1910).