, 1904-02-03
STORY OF A
CRITICISM
[Original.l

well, L am III IL plchle.
So spoke Leslie Reid, tossing Il note
on his desk and leaning back disconso-
lately in his revolving chair. This was
the letter:
Ny Dear Mr.. Reid-You will be sur
prised to learn that am the author oil
the story "The Veil Lifted" which you
have dismissed with such a contemptuous
notice In your paper. Wishing to get your
unbiased opinion of my work, l SAID
nothing to you about 1t, confident that
your ignorance. of the name under when
it is published would insure an honest
criticism. Far be it from me to find fault
with you for that 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.
lone who knows nothing about the
Inconsistencies of the SEX" unused Reid,
"would suppose this merely Il woman's
thanks for an ingenious criticism. l
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 camels back. | 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 equivocal way,
was taken advantage of Immediately,
and the announcement came to Reid's
ears.
'They say" Reid muttered, go that
mine enemy would write a bookv Bet
ter write the book yourself and have
your enemy c~riticise it."
This sudden engagement so 500 aft
er the fatal criticism somewhat altered
Mr.. Reid's 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, 'All's 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
her met her at the house of a friend.
He bowed to her, assuming indiffer-
ence She smiled upon him-well, M
90 11I1ot COW oIocin1Slu 1Inp CmiIO was
rather one of triumph.
"Oh, 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"
81 criticised your book" he replied,
with dignity, mo- you. I have no fault
to find with you. Let us turn to a more
pleasant subject"
mot at all. 1 am entitled as an old
friend to the benefit of your counsel
and advice. They will aid me in my
future work"
Every well. Since you insist upon it
l must say that your 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
Lucy T%angleield'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 l was say
ing
"Will you stop? My characters are
not Mackinson and Lucy Tanglewood
or any such people,"
Are not they the characters of The
Veil L%ifted?'"
''They are not"
'Then," said Reid, Il must have been
laboring under a mistake and got your
book mixed with another. You see,
we have so many to read hat it often
leads to serious mistakes. Mention
some incident, some name, in your sto-
ry by which l may recognize it."
The hero'S name is Adair, the hero
ine's'-
claudia Grammont! Do you mean
to tell me you wrote that book? The
style is perfect, the plot remarkable.
In parts there is evidence of positive
genius"
Miss Young's eyes were lighted. Her
cheeks We're glowing with a different
motive from that of a moment ago. She
was quite sure she had not made a
mistake, after all, and hat Reid was
her choice. The meeting was inter-