The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-30
THE MISSING WORD TENDER
NESSD

or the "Litt,e Classic" Edition of the
works of Nathaniel Hawthorne published
by Houghton, Mifllln and Company, in
the volume, "Septimius FELTON, or the
Elixir of Life" OH page la appears tho
following sentence:
"For the old woman turned to him
with a grim TENDERNESS on her face
and stretched out her hand to be taken
In his own"
This was the sentence selected for the
News missing word contest which closed
yesterday and Tenderness" was the mis-
sing word.
In selecting the sentence Ii was the
purpose to find it in tho works OF
standard author as well as popular
author and to have the word simple,
though when missing" its place might
seemingly be taken by any one of a num-
ber Of other words. OF course the context
to the sentence selected and the idea the
author sought to express, would make any
other word than the right one entirely
out of place, though in the sentence cut
out in this way some other might seem
TO fit.
The point Is that there was no intention
of making the word difficult of guessing
by reason Of It's opscurity. though the
number of words thst might seem to fit
should make the guess an interesting
hazard. For therein lay uhe fun.
The works OF Nathaniel Hawthorne
are both standard and popular. We guess
our readers will find that a number of
them are among the books in greater de-
mand at the Public Library. And
"Septimius Felton," work Of posthu-
nous publication, usually IL not always
printed with manuscript notes made by
the author suggesting further elabora-
tion OF certain parts OF it that death in
terrupted. is not only one of the most read
able of the books of Americas greatest
novelist, but Is particularly attractive to
students as being work thoroughly rep
resen tative Of the authors style, sugges-
tive of his process and method and illus.
trsting in naked degree his tastes and
fancy in invention. Indeed, the book
may be called a typical Hawthorne pro-
duction the ripe fruit Of his experience
as an author at the same time showing
no falling of in the power OF his native
genius tor romance.
Perhaps no fairer selection of author,
book, passage or word could have been
made to meet all the requirements and
expectations OF such contest as that
proposed.
None Of our readers, however, rather TO
our surprise and disappointment, too
be IL said, happened TO hit upon the right
Missing Word" Many of them suggested
words that did very we'll but those OF
them who will recall the passage now
that they know where to find it, and
others who will now read the charming
story for the first time will reco gnire
that IL the author here used any OF tho
words submitted 10 US, instead of "ten
derness," he would have failed TO express
mis- thought and few authors have bean so
happy in selecting just the right word for
the place as was Hawthorne. Picturesque
as was his vocabulary it was rarely any
thing but absolutely accurate SO our
readers will bear US out in tho opinion
that 10 is doubtless their fault that they
did not guess the right word rather than
Hawthorne's error that he did not use
any one Of the words they guessed and
offered for tho vacant space created in
the interests Of the contest.
Perhaps it was not unnatural that
smile and "look" should have been
the most frequently suggvstd for tho
missing word" A close rival 90 these
In popularity was expression. one
contestant who made thre, guesses, sug-
sested these three words. A number OF
guessers suggested "acs' as completing
the word "grlmace" but the contest, it
seems TO us would have been unfair had
an nflix or part OF q word been made
missing. Other suggestions like pal
lor. F" amusement" determination, &"
'humor," "sigh," laugh, " .."fOrebod-
ing" were not unhappy though none
was the real missing word.