Reader's Digest
Admits
Mistake


Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Nov. 5, 1953

Some weeks ago, Judge R.W. Greene called attention to the definition of "Success" which appeared in the October Readers’ Digest, and which was credited to Robert Louis Stevenson.

The quotation, of course, belongs to Mrs. A.J. Stanley. Mrs. Stanley wrote it about fifty years ago, and after her death a few years ago, Mr. Stanley had it engraved on her monument in the Lincoln cemetery.

Judge Greene recently received a letter from the Readers’ Digest, explaining how the mistake happened to be made. It is interesting to note that others, too, realized that a mistake in authorship had been made and wrote to the magazine.

The letter to Judge Greene follows:

Dear Mr. Greene:

Thank you for your letter prompted by the definition of success printed in our October issue and attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson. This short essay came to us on a Christmas card, which credited Stevenson with the authorship although the specific source was not mentioned.

Since the October issue appeared, however, we have heard from a number of readers who pointed out that the lines should hav been credited to the late Mrs. A.J. Stanley of Lincoln, Kan. We are sorry about this slip-up. It is quite a tribute to Mrs. Stanley’s definition that so many should recall both the lines and their authorship. Clearly the little essay touches a responsive chord in many hearts.

Sincerely,


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