Pulling A Var From A Js File

In the head I have:
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="myfirst.css">
<script src="myfirst.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

I have the following in 'myfirst.js' file:
var writastring ="<table width="250" border="2"><tr>
<td>Here is my first script text</td></tr></table>"

I have the following in the myfirst.css:
#ontheleft{position:absolute; left:10px; top:50px; }

In the body of the HTML file directly below the body tag is this:
<div id="ontheleft">
<script language="javascript">
document.write(writastring)
</script>
</div>

My problem is that it writes.......Fanfare........exactly nothing.. nada.

And yes they are all in the same path. Even if I change to this: var writastring="OK! Write this" nothing is written. Even leaving out the Div tags nothing changes.

The purpose of this exercise is to assemble content in the
JS file and then write it in any number of pages.