New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-20

tnites for prolonged and renewed a 9I09
WITH MIN upon literary matters that Nv I those who
have not seen Gissng for five or ten or nIteesli
years who have never known him that he hey, Would
would have done so could not written Thn at
/ did had thought otherwise. He kne" 4 ,1i,7eJ
what manner and with WHAT qualifications Nci j
him and his work, and 10 the end had nv 4,'aT Of
last he lay in great distress of mind at 81 JeS az
Pied de Port upon HIS deathbed it was 70 his his in
PRODUCTION 10 'Veranilda' followed closely upon o'
Mr. Algernon Gissing omits the most importap5
facts about my introduction. lie Is quite -odc
ton. ana it to be signed-readers Of the Tye yea
~ da,it and COMES I1ar Sent 10 every
] thought likely to be OF help in the matter, a %e
by sheer inadvertency that one or me Who
utors was omitted proposed that eaf t Oiis he or
he thought it, and that should edit the t5,s
L Il merely as basis upon WhlcI OF. otilT ~,
sohebodT' In his way. had received any ade-
quate collaboration We should have had . certain
uniformity of style TO this Mr. AlgernoI tilss1II
frederic Harrison and he returned il with comph-
mentaTy remarks graceful tribute anu 70 LO ~,
and note upon question or fact aile i f 1ar
self In addition he suggested the omissiqn OF vs.
tain personal details about GsSng ca % would
His discovery that me enIe ~ an aItogether
have hurt issngs feeng set Il o. aside his prev
Gus Gon iI f,ssinr He wrote in passage
20 M "a, eftbe Whinb I incorporated in con-
densed forrn-his style IS more dinuse than mime
practcaIly mnchaIIenged / must insist that he &C
ceoted the introduction and only subsequently df
veioped his singular ideal Of preface f1aI tese
ssrgotten 10 mention that early sight of draft
srbs draft was sent 20 Mr. Morley Roberts. Giss-
ing 9S se INo We're constantly discussing literary
questions during that time. Mr. Roberts MAGE fe
critical estimate he Endorsed with enthusiasm, l
incsq letters from Mr.. Clodd and Mr.. Whale From
certain others of those TO whom copies OF me uItt
Ultimately sent it cannot O56 65oree 9S or
NO. tvebly underlined: but none OF an tnese "a
ter people gave the slightest mixing OF WAT me-
would indorse admit. These drafts, WlIn {helT
various annotatons are all IN existence in end
printed and il only after had been quite com
executors broke their agreement Win MeSSIs. &
stable and refused to sanction il There was ample
0sier5 VINO o9Je:t 10 lF was quite prepared
regarded myself merely as the necessary editor on
Inc enterprise and the sole reason why that crit
ical estimate remains entirely mine isto be frank
about the matter-that none Of them would put
that Shouts take fun responsibility for the 9pln-
ions expressed and then with e1iTeile INC oe no ~
forts 10 initiate introduction in my face;
nv d2at and write another which could also be
peppered with NO and rs this right and so
Vas prepared 10 TePlaGG my b CIV" stood aside r.
tners ana YOU'D %I ,Ii:i d' SaS been forth
coming but this. ! thought was going 100 i arm n
10 take any ineligible form. To have done as
much might perhaps have been more respectful TO
George GissinGs executors, but IL would have
shown an absolute want of respect both for George
Gissing and for myself considered that Vera
nilda'' needed an Introduction that should bring Il
into relation with GIssing's personality and with
HIS other work. and I do not believe that II VIII
have a proper reception without that. The action
OF Messrs Constable in the matter carries out my
opinion
duction would for an entire set Of George
Gesing's works but must not serve Tor ~ ERA
nilda"' IS surely obviously absurd II has been a
bitter disappointment to me that my little piece OF
work for my friend should be unreasonaby
flung aside. and can only hone that the parti-
san shirt this discussion has aroused will not go
10 the length OF condemning what was Gissng's
Ynaturest last and most deliberately conceived
hook Already / have announcements by two
critics who have evidently nothing of Vera
nilda' that II IS Tar inferior 10 his earlier novels
IL IL surely quite possible 10 display loyalty TO
GissinR's memory and chiyalrous hostility 10 me
without abusing the book that lay nearest 10 his
heart during the last years OF his nfe.-CI. c.
Wells.