The sun., 1891-05-31
THE PLANT OF A POET p.yxrn
Mr.. Henry Anstin's Letter to Mr.. Bor.,.
UP@n Reading nm Adverse Crittc,.-

UP~n Readine an Adverse Crit,c,sm
To rnx Enron rnr suS-str. The sne,o..,
menth rather long. but perhaps TO the literary ~.
may be OF interest for the turning OF III, 80 y,
sometimes amusing The plain facts OF IN. ~. n " u
that Mr. Howels who processes to be critic b,, - '
out OF his way to attack my book and by in,,nrs,,
the writer OF II. He does like mo ali, w.,
reasons connected with the Zubof expo.s las,
certain Boston friends OF his think inc 4 mon,,,, n
cause am getting n divorce from lady whom :, "
regard asa martyr. know that yours 10 pnp,r rh,s
likes fair play and you spare the SPA C. ana ms
my answer trust You will give 1t the bcnsnt OF your
| groN circulation. Very respectfully yours
HENRY AUSTIN Sioux Falls, South pato,.
10 Wf''fdm DIAN Ho'c',s Eso Nov.tn. fos, ana c1,,
Sir: The following passage In note iu,t
received from n man Of letters has causaS
| me great and somewhat painful surpri...
Il read Howellss criticism Of you in N.
May Harper's. 1t seemed to mo I conlJ
discover In 1t studied undertaking "A
| slight you." Naturally hastened to read Won,
department-usually ono OF my keenest initial.
lectual pleasures, for. however rarely a mar.
half-educated newspaper fellow like mo ma,
be ablo to comprehend and ngree with your
literary verdicts in general. one would bs
hopelessIy dull who could not take an artistic
,NeliEht In tho subtle felicity OF your diction
Yct as to the gist OF your particular verdIs,
ON my newspaper Rhymes which did not poss
as oems, but simply called themselves "vao.
abond Verses" perhaps in my inn,ost mind
very .aearly agree with you. for 1t is nv na,nr.
to care little for what write after the ao, n,
writing, and certainly, II published a nav
edition. ! Should leave out all tho verses Al
occasion. or a bout quarter OF the voluma
So you will understand that / am lot rebe,I.
ing against thu matter OF your verdict. nj.
though the press OF the country. following. "A
It does 80 often. regardless Of politics. the lead
nN,xx. Cv,~, n.
''Vagabond Verses" very heartily. But then ".
newspaper hacks. as you have 30 often frankly
t.,ld us. have mo call to set up as critics. and.
be sides. We are apt to be chivalrously overlInd
to fellowcraitsman who intrudes on "Lltera.
ture Proper" with q poor little book of hts
own. Edward Everett Hale. to be sure an
author snd editor Of some note wrote ysry
warm notiee Of my book: said had that rars
Gift, the lyric awning" and another rare gift
OF seeing and suggesting tho analogy be-.
sr hhqssH hs Hs @s ena thss
crisie: Yet. i also Happen 10 pqssess . lettes
m author and an au thority whom surely. Mr..
Nowells. you must admit to be almost as
she man whom two Nations have s,s delisSt.ss afss
ssss ss,.sS sss SS ss$;
never-to- be-foreotten kfudnesses in the way
Of ry BSs his hn Of
g wr1s my
painful year Of a dark and iainlul life. Yet.
ash sSou
not count. foE these men. being successful
os dns as s
But I viii frankly admit. Mr. Howells. that
say your :, ukase IN my case l had thought
fer instance; q. as -. FredeTieks5prte" t and tho
reason thst they had 30 often brought tears to
syS g but ct psrRsrs hs ~cnea nea
Ss ssabs na the Ssos
way. ss1 Tie realism III NJ that Srinss tears count
Dickens. q moro melodramatist, had it. and 90
MI VII know ii is' Is arraDe aa and
claptrap.
HeSs saT no e's III mater
ey e
editors, Of the Gsnt,ty. Independeat. and other
Psiodiesls whose M taste you con;
sly 60 on buying from me st their gone erous
No. s
matter doesn't matter; but yopr manner. or
%elf admit the % boot f was % peos. Il You will
l.4s% shs IL Sss s a.
believe sent you CODY OF tho first edition
a
deal gsIs Sd o9beI @s1 ssns HE
Ct
,ircaiasicn % I; and infiasnee @ wSere 81 course no
riend of nine has 3 chance 10 defend ne: you
a% Ge ny 2oa DO
ne personally-tnat probably you think mo
Bcsos as Tor
great critic like you could be Touched by per.
'fisn liked Intensely the work Of persons
,hysicatiy as We'll AS as psychicaify. @ SHii ' A
Yet snpposing your contempt 10 fSr day.sd my verses
,sieS.epsa Sy yOne pdfs dislike of 81 my
'ou surmise Il, yet conceive. though possibly
sst Ssis q DssR isss sslds ssSd
AXE little book sent to you as tribute OF
espeeI and smite It with such clever lever indisore-
q. Sp 70 sSss sSsis%6y spssF II 4 Ha1cS,!
-and then. too. 10 Kill him 30 bunEllnely that
IN outsider could guess your dislike OF yhe
'ictim. Verify. In the twentieth century. yhen
he mild socialism Of your later novels and the
,arlOr reformers OF Boston have brought about
be Belamy Paradise. 1t is to be hoped that the
Of the future Athens ,e, Will 90 bis
just one more point. Mr: Howels: you. srs
ny cireGmstances are not especially prosper
,us. thanks 70 the asiiyity OF my eHsmIss snnS IN
You have probably heard the boast of!a Ger.
ain lady that she has worried me 9pt Of @ Two
md possibly deserve to be knocked down
whenever ! begin to Ii7e In any place. But. Mr..
hort life. and probably have done some very
oolish and wicked things. I psyer Dry YET Eicksa
PARDON mo for closing with the somewhat rude
sgret that the worlds greatest novelist. ths
,cted TO me quite Ike the gentleman.auits
Ike the man-which he might be. rest.
HENRY AUSTIN.