The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-10-03
STORY OF A
CRITICISM
loriginaI.l

"Great Scott! Who would have
thought it2 Helen Young an authorl
Well, / am in a picket"
So spoke Leslie Reid. tossing a note
on his desk and leaning back disconso-
lately In his revolving chair. This was
the letter:
My Dear Mr.. Reid-You will be sur
prised TO learn hat / am the author of
the story 1.-THE Veil Lifted" which you
have dismissed with such a contemptuous
notice in your paper. Wishing to get your
unbiased opinion of my work. I said
nothing to you about it, confident that
your ignorance of the name under which
it Is published would insure an honest
criticism. Far be 1t from me to find fault
with you for hat criticism. We who lay
traps to learn the truth as to What our
friends say of us and our works must not
grumble at our success. Sincerely,
HELEN YOUNG.
One who knows nothing about the
inconsistencies of the SEX" unused Reid,
would suppose this merely a woman's
thanks for an ingenious criticism. |
know better. No woman is going to
spend months or perhaps years on a
cherished labor and have it knocked in
the head with impunity, and if | know
Helen Young this is the feather that
breaks the camel's back. l have had
uphill work against Bartlett anyway,
and this episode will tip the scale in
his favor"
Reid was right in his Interpretation
of the letter he had received. In pro-
portion to her predisposition to him
and her respect for his literary opinion
was her wrath at his criticism. She
deceived herself by the illusion that
after all she preferred his rival and
did not admit to herself that she would
have a delicious revenge upon Reid
when she permitted Bartlett to an
nounce his engagement with her. This
permission. given in an e%quivocal way.
was taken advantage of Immediately.
and the announcement came to Reds
ears.
"They say" Reid muttered, 80 that
mine enemy would write a book! Bet
ter write the book yourself and have
your enemy criticise it."
This sudden engagement SO soon aft
er the fatal criticism somewhat altered
Mr.. Reds opinion of the best way to
handle the matter. He had some
doubts as to the engagement being
bona fide, and it led him to act upon
the adage, "AlPs fair in love and in
war" He did not follow up his note to
Miss Young by calling upon her and
did not see her for several weeks. He
then met her at the house of a friend.
He bowed to her, assuming indiffer-
ence. She smiled upon him-well, n
cannot say graciously. Her smile was
rather n of triumph.
ooh, Mr.. Reid" she said. I'm SO
glad to meet you! Come. let us have a
talk" And she led him away from the
others. Now, l want you to tell me
why my book was so bad"
II criticised your book" he replied,
with dignity. mot you. l have no fault
to find with you. Let us turn to a more
pleasant subject"
Not at all. l am entitled as an old
friend to the benefit of your counsel
and advice. They will aid me in my
future work"
Every we'll. Since you insist upon it
I must say that our style is faulty
and gives the impression that the work
was done under different moods"
There was a flash in the girls eye, a
mounting of color to her cheek.
"Then you handled your love parts
badly and disappointed your readers
by making your hero marry a popinjay
when the rival was. though common
place. a fairly good fellow"
Thank you,' said Miss Young, biting
her lips.
Your man Mackinson'-
"Mackinson! Who's Mackinson?
What are you talking about?'
"Your hero. You have made his feats
as impossible as himself. Then your
Lucy Tanglefield's career is as tangled
as her name. So far as
"Will you please tell me who all
these people are? l never heard of
them
"Your characters. AS was say
Twill you stop? My characters are
not Mackinson and Lucy Ta~nglewood
or any such people"
"Are not they the characters of The
Veil Lifted?'"
'"They are not"
'"Then." said Reid, 81 must have been
laboring under a mistake and got your
book mixed with another. You see.
we have so many to read that it often
leads to serious mistakes. Mention
incident. some name, in your sto-
~ by which l may recognize it."
1.-The hero's name is Adair. the hero
ine's''-
Claudia Grammont! Do you mean
to tell me you wrote that book? The
is perfect, the plot remarkable.
In parts there is evidence of positive
genius"
Miss Young's eyes were lighted. Her
cheeks were glowing with a different
from that of a moment ago. She
was quite sure she had not made a
mistake. after all, and that Reid was
her choice. The meeting was inter-
by the hostess. and the two sep
without further explanations,
were not necessary. Miss Young