New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-04

seldom gets further than the preface. II there Is
one. II there is none, ho mentions the suplect OF
the work. and throws in few lauIatory common a
places, The review by personal enemy Is cTh-
monty spoiled by Its too obvious ahlnus' ne
critic is too eager to offend and oversboots ms
mark; very probably; too, he Is igno , anu
blunders amusingly But, whatever Authors may
think, there are probably many years ii Wnlch no
review appears that is inspired by personal lnallce
Authors do not readily believe this. On reading u
Thoroughly hostile review, their first sensation Is
one of bewIdercd surprise. Can there exist they
ask themselves, n being who sees Things WIN sucl
distorted vision Is there verify Trc' ouT N,
work failure When it is realized that these s'd
things are really thus, the author considers within
himself " Whom have | ofendcdV lie selects
prohable enemy from his list of foes, and very
ikclv goes about maligninc some innocent person
who never even read his productions Sometimes
euds are thus begotten lnk-feuds IKE tle ahc'ehI
blood feuds In the Saga of Burnt Nal we rrad
how Hrutt slew kar. and Skarphedln slew iirutt,
and Kali slew Skarphedin and 80 on Tor a dozen or
more murders. In literature the time mas Dceh
when Jones was suspected of Stating Smlth.
whereon Smith slated" Jones, and was fallen on
by Brown who again became The victim OF hooin T.
son. while all the time Smith was quite innocent OF
the original offence. But these things were IN the
old heroic days of Thackeray's Mr.. Bludyer;
When an author is severely reviewed, ms S own
ings to hurt. There arc hardened writers VINO 40
not care one straw what is said about their works
in the press They have their public, ana praise or
dispraiSC leaves them unmOved. 1hey 90 not even
read criticisms but pitch them Gisdalnfuliy INTO
the waste paper basket. These are happy men
As time goes on their relations ana TRENDS,
the people who give the sting to uniaNOrape Grill
clsn find that il is useless to cOndole with IN IN.
They 90 their way unmOested, and have attained
TO literary aidrGria. the ideal oil the EpcuIean.
But these philosophers are rare ana tne oruinHIy
author suffers most from his brothers, his sisters,
his cousins and men nj his club. lie sees irlehd
reading the 4" Palladium" and marks the happy
grin on his amiable features lie knows that ne
friend will come up and cOnd0le with hum on that
outrageous attack" Even If there be friends
with more tact. the wlnclng author detects con-
sciOus reserve their silence. ,
II is an unfortunate. but notorious. thing that
really great writers seldom attain 10 the wise IN
difference of the wise to criticism. mere IS
Ouida for example. She frequently utters a Drlei
cry of anguish. through one ~ other journal, Whcn
she has been the victim Of the scoier. George
Eliot sometimes acknowledged in published letters
that unfricndly criticisms were kept out Oh ler
sight; as we believe indeed that they rarely reach
a statesman who is the butt OF the sings anu
arrows of outrageous Tories Yet there are mani
fest tokens III "IheOphraStus such that the
author of AGam Bede had picked M. anu was
trying to throw back. the assegai OF ut least one
critical assailant. The malice of psendOnynOls
scribber VIGOROUSLY gave deep annoyance To iato
distinguished writer Mr.. Thackerays sensitive
ness to criticism not only unconcealed from
his friends, but is frequently exposed IN ms
Roundabout Papers, and other passages IN his
works. lt strange thai man should not
have felt in his eminerce-in the stdts qWet@
and shrek, and push, and anXiousiy advertise
themselves But any miserable creeping thng Ol
literature could sting one of the greatest modern
men of letters, and this sensliveness seems TO be
an almost essential weakness in people OF genius.
The author artist who looks on literature or art
as profession by which no wins his bread pro,
fesson in the exercise Of which he must often fall
far below his best powers. can be Indifferent enough
10 criticism. IL may teach him something
may make him collect his forces again. and give
ne direction and fresh impetus 60 his effort But
in men of genius there remains much Oi the chlld,
and of the eternal child this senstlveness IS part
Dogs and children do not forgive or overlook ridl-
Guile, which working men OF letters can regard AS
harmless chat, but which workers OF real genius
resent with an extraordinary excitement Mr..
Carlyle obviously never fOrgaye De Quncey and
probably Lamb had not treated HIM with awful
immortal and the senstivcness OF more good
natured writers Of genius is often as easily ruiled.
ard slow TO be appeaSed, as even the vanity OF
minor poet. People bear criticism most easily who
have least sef-cOnsciOusnesS, and who can assure
themselves that the world is paying very little at
tentiOn to them and their concerns.