The times., 1897-06-20
III -zl|@1E 3 t|l.t[ t|l[l

! formist conscience, which, he understood,
| had felt itself somewhat deceived in him.
''Well. only this. if it is really as you say,
said Mr.. LIE Gallienne, that it is a little
| unfait for the Nonconformists To look
upon nae as a renegade, seeing they over
look the fac5 that | never really aimed at
being one of their representatives. l think
they, at one time, claimed me in spite of
myself, possibly through misunderstanding,
most OF my utteraaces. [ was glad to have
won their love- he continued, smilingly;
''all the more so becauseit came unsougilt.
/ had No objection TO being wooed by the
Noncolfurmist conscience, bat when it cauie
TO fqatrimoly withdrew.
Il WAS glad TO add their appreciation 10
the slender purse of my praises. SO long
as was not expected to restrict my free
dom of thought. Nothing in the world ever
surprised me more than the welcome
which the N. S. accorded to my Rel gon
of Literary Man. and took an honest
pride in it, for, say what you will abnut
them, the Nonconformists have brains Of
their own. They are as alone intellectu-
ally and spiritually as they are dead
artistically y Perhaps they thought that
the average literary man had no religion
at all, and that half a loaf was better than
no bread" was suggested. "And yet,' re-
Piled Mr. LIE Gallienne, ait has been the
literary force OF the New Testament that
has made Christianity the commercial sue
cess It is.
But it is not so much the criticism OF
the Nonconformist Conscience he con-
tinued, that resent for my book That is
at least honest-and respect il. No. it is
the much less sincere disapprobauon OF Mrs.
Grundy that | despise-tbat covert inn
moralist VINO dictates our morals. Mis-.
Grundy, as we all know, doesn't mind in
the least what we do, SO long as we don't
say that we do ft. Her own idea of inn
purity is nj kedness, whereas nakedness is
of the essence OF purity. To be naked and
unas ashamed is the first law of innocence
1t was not for taking off clothes, but for
putting them on, thatour first parents were
expelled from the garden. There IS moth
ing Mrs Grundy hates and fears like nature
The nearer you get 10 nakedness the more
she is shocked, for nature, except when
depraved or distorted by Mis-. Grundys
unnatural laws and hypocritical restraints,
Is honest, and innocent, and pure
Tits the innocence and purity V of my book
wiiicn shooks-or is supposed to shock
cent expression OF the delight of life. th,.
joy Of youth in beauty aud love. 1t is
heither moral nor immoral-except in so
far as it Possesses the iDsensihly inofaliz-
ing effect of beauty and joy'' In sact.
you challenge Mrs. Grundy's standard OF
purity Exactly. What she calls prr-
ity l call inlpurity, and what she calls
good taste ! call bad taste. 1t is bad taste
{" be asnamed of a clean ana beautiiJ
fact
And what OF the newspaper critics?
Well, in most cases l have been more than
pleased. All the critics who count tor, at
all events, whom l COUNT have under
stood ana liked my book; that is, critics
who understand something besides subur-
ban realism or the novel of blood A
Work oil fancy is necessarily handicapped.
supply because it can only be inlelIigentiy
criticised by those who possess fancy
themselves. To apply n standard Of real
ism or morality 10 a creation OF fancy is
to weigh IL in the wrong scales. |
But, indeed have been more than pleased |
mot to say surprised. OF course, there |
has been, as there always is, in the case /
Of SO unpopular a writer as myself, GER !
tain percentage of silly, personally spiteful |
and dishonest criticism | know of one or |
ewo cases where editors (nen personally |
chosen as honest guardians of Iiteraturej /
gave my book out for review with express /
directions that IL was to be slated
But, OF coursc, that is an old story, as old |
as literature the great masters had to run
-he same gantlet shall a young disciple