New-York tribune., 1904-09-25

recent novel of mine That book had scarcely
left the printers hands when W. T. Stead OF The
Review of Reviews wrote me most cordial letter
conTatuating the work, and aVerrlng
that it was THE best of all | had done. But
in his letter he set forth the startling proposition
that | must have meant" King Edward, our own
gracious sovereign, for my hctional King, Queen
Alexandra for the Queen the Prince OF Naes Tor my
Prince Humphry" and Mr.. Chamberlain for the
defauting Secretary of State who figures in the
story as Carl Perousse.' | amazed at the
curious free translation of my ideas that at first
thought it was Julia who had thus persuaded Mr..
Stead to things upside down.
But as his criticism of the book had not yet APP
pearcd III The Review of Reviews, | made haste to
write to him at and earnestly assured him OF the
complete msapprehenson he had made of my whole
scope and intention
Despite this explanation my part, however, Mr..
Stead wrote and published review of the book
maintaining his own fabricated case against me,
Notwithstanding the fact that he held my denial
of his assertions his possession prior to the publca
tion of his criticism And though dealer III meat,
groceries and other food stutfs may obtain compensa
tion if his wilfuly misrcpresented to the
buying public the purveyor of thoughts ideas has
remedy when such thoughts ideas debcr
aely and purposcly fasied the world through the
press. Yet the damage is surely great, and the
injury done to ones honest intention equally gratu
ItouS
From this little incident occurring to myself
say in reference the assertion that people
do not know how to read, that If those who rushed
through" thi, misleading criticism had honestly
read the book so criticized for themselves. they
would have seen at once how distorted was Mr..
Stead's view of the whole story. But while many
who had read the book and the review laughed
the bare notion of there being any resemblance
between my hctional hero-kng of romance and the
sovereign Of the British Empire. others. reading
the review only, foolishly decided that | must have
written some "travesty" upon English royalty. and
condemned the book without reading it.
III ,.F
the condemnation of their books 10y persons
who cauu,t read For though there never was so
much reading put before the public there
less actual reading in the truest and highest
sense OF the
To read As | take it, means To sit down quietly
and enjoy book i'll its every line and expression,
Whether it he tragic humorous. simple or ornate
il has been written To bcgue from daily routine
of life and to give w a little change of thought
mood 1t may please us, may make us sad, it
may even anger by upsetting pet theories and
Contradicting lines of argument: but if
it has taken away for time from ourselves it has
fulfilled the greater part of its mission and done a
good Those who have really learned to read
encouragcrS of the Free Library craze The
lover OF hooks will peruse volumes
that thumhed and soilcd by hundreds of other
hands he O She will manage buy them and keep
them friends in the private household. Any book
except the expensive editions dc luxe" can be
purchased for few shillings-a little saving
druggcd beer and useless fincry would enable the
ordinary mechanic stock himself with decent
library of his own.
To borrow ones mental fare from Free Libraries y