The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-02-22
rnps. DIR. NcmANAwAr.


Mr.. Editor:
The contribution vi "a Rcader" in yeur
last issue pcrpicxcs me somewhat AM
at loss to determine whcihe' it was
designed as a..lecturcscn ethics for my'cs-
pecial cdiGcmtion or whether it was mere
liy an ambitious first essay at literary
criticism. Judging hy the spirit display
cd in it. it would seem 70 he literary crit
iciam; judging by its style, if it be per-
missablc TO use This term in such con-
nection. one must needs think in meant
for lecture on morals.
Much of it's impressiveness and force as
lecture on morals is lost, however, by
the confession made in the outset that
"Reader" is practically ignorant of the
! matters Of which he speaks so confident
Is. He s'had not taken advantage of
hearing Mr. FoS's Rcading" For it is
scarcely supposabie that Reader has
had anv other advantage" of hearing
read, or reading, Dir. Fox's story. His
fairness is open to crticise, therefore,
when he approves of Mr.. Addison's eulo-
gy, pronounces the remarks of the editor
of the posr discriminating, and con-
dennis my feeble "effusion' hyperbolical;
eff not fusomc or pedantic, high-fown
and most laudatory." ] challenge "A
Render. to find in my brief criticism
anything more laudatory than these
things culled from what the editor of the
Posr said: can ideal lecture" "l'he
equal of Thomas Nelson Page, who stands
pro-emincnt in his particular role" He
would have made an ideal artist" "His
Imagination is brilliant, his characters
are we'll drawn, and show that he has a
wonderful understanding Of human ma
ture." "The story is most thrilling one,
and:full Of brilliant thoughts and word
painting" Or than these from MIR. Adj
Olson; "His writings, as thus far pub
lshed, in cicarness of plot, in nicely of
execution, in beauty and chastity of die
ton, and in easy grace and charm of
style have Impressed me profoundly with
their authors genius" Addressing Mr.
Fox: "To catch the eyo to enchant the
attention, to excite the interest, TO graft
fy and win the plaudits Of tens Of thous-
ands of your intelligent fellow-country-
men and women is distinction, proud
distinction, to which very few can, with
any degree of reason, aspire. Such you
have already DONE" And yet, forsooth,
"a Reader" is satisfied that these were
we'll deserved, while my little saying was
hyperbolcal and highly lau1atory. Now,
if this is added the way lie garbled the ex
tract from my piece, the mongrel moral
quality of this remarkable composition is
clearly apparent.
AS piece Of literary criticism tho per-
Torrance of"A Reader" is about on
par with iss moral quality. His conclu-
sion that in two paragraphs had de-
picted an author and lecturer never eI-
celed, if equalod, while "not laudatory'
of my literary gift is indicative that "a
Readers" knowledge of general literature
is, perhaps, as extensive as the little
Webster's dictionary, in which we were
unable to find "pryeleged.
If"A Reader" expects TO indulge fur
Their his fevercd fancy in efforts at litera-
ry criticism, I hope he will take as kind
" rs | offer it the advice to procure in
some way an Unabridged dictionary, not
to say the Century. And, also, before he
sets up as lecturer on newspaper style lie
will practice composition just o little
But, excuse me, AR. Editor, have taken
"a Reader" all too seriously in treating
his little piece as either lecture on
morals or as lteary criticism. 1t is but
mere fake of the contemplate froth
thrown off by an effarvcscing petty spite
j. M. McMANAwAY.