Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-14
The Kiss ef Fire =.
[Original.l
There's your novel. I've read it."

sWell?'
'There's no use of my trying to let
you down easy, Jimmy. I may as well
tell the truth. It's only fitted to be
read by the occupants of a lunatic
asylum.
Jimmy looked as if his friend had
thrust a knife into his bosom. He was
one of a lot Of artists who inhabited
the same rookery and every man Of
them on the verge of starvation.
II tell you what, JIM" continued the
speaker, "I'm a practical fellow at bot
tom and have no business with either
art or literature. l have a scheme for
working off this stuff you've written OF
a friend who is a publisher. He's prac-
teal too. I'm going to see him."
"Do you want the manuscripts"
"No."
John Melcher, the merciless friend
critic, went to the publisher and made
a proposition which induced him to
publish 1.-THE Kiss of Fire" Melcher
was to take charge Of the Introduction
Of the book to the public in his own
way. He relied implicitly OF the mem
bers of his gang, who We're to act as a
claque under his direction. Hardly had
the book been issued when all of
them, having been coached by Mel
cher, went in different directions.
Each stopped upon passing a stand
or store where books are sold and ask
ed for 1.-The Kiss of Fire" When told
that they had no copy of the book the
inquirer would be struck dumb with
amazement and hurry away. Before
%nightfall Of the first day there had
been from half a dozen to a dozen
inquiries for the novel in every book
shop in the city. Melcher had instruct
ed his band to work the trumpeting
and the inquiries among the book
sellers with equal zeal, we'll knowing
that to make a market without pro.
viding a supply would be useless.
The booksellers gave small orders
for the book, and occasionally some.
n to whom the gang sounded its
praises bought one. Meanwhile Melcher
was not idle. He pursuaded a friend.
Olcott, who was the leader of a literary
club, to read the story The readers
report upon it was, For idiots, fools
and lunatics, the most remarkable
work of the century," Melcher went
about telling all book lovers that o.
colt had pronounced "The Kiss of
Fire" the most remarkable work of
the century, failing to mention for
what class Of readers. Before 'Olcott
heard of his criticism and had cor
rected it a number Of people who were
ambitious of being up in the literature
Of the day had read the novel. None
Of them could understand why it was
remarkable, blu since Olcott said so
none of them dared say it was not.
One Independent fellow pronounced it
"rot," but the best "rot" he had ever
read. All young girls entering society,
hearing of the commotion it was Great
ing and assuming for that reason the
book must be a model of literary ex-
cellence, pronounced it "perfectly love-
ly." Then it was announced as "the
best seller of the week."
Checks began to come in from the
publisher. They were sent to Melcher,
who apportioned them between the au-
thor and his gang. Thus encouraged,
the claque worked on. But further eff
fort was not necessary. The flame had
been kindled, and If Melcher had led
them in an attempt to put it out they
could not have done so. 1t must burn
till the fuel was exhausted. The crit
les abused the book, inveighing against
the decline of literary taste, but they
were not needed. Every one read and
talked about "The Kiss of Fire" Then
suddenly. at the end of three months.
the babel ceased. Everybody had read
the book and was ready for the next
wonder. E
About this time the literary editor of
a prominent magazine fell i'll, and Ben
Hathaway, an understrapper, who took
care of the books to be reviewed. hap.
pened on "The Kiss of Fire. He read
1t and was delighted with it. 1t en-
tered his head to try his hand at.writ-
ing a criticism on 1T. He did so. and
the criticism got into the magazine be-
fore the editor resumed his post.
The late Robert Louis Stevenson
has said in the preface to one of his
books. 1--WE write to our friends. and
the public pays the postage" Now, it
happened that Jimmy Hessler, away
back of a pair of strange eyes far
down In that peculiar brain of his. had
some very singular fancies-fancies
with which only a brain en- rapport
with his own would sympathize. In
other words, when Hessler wrote "The
Kiss of Fire" he was writing it to
Hathaway. Hathaway in his criticism
spoke very highly of the novel. He
could not explain it. Indeed, he did
not fully understand it, for no two
brains are alike in all their parts. He
contented himself with praising it.
Nevertheless Of all the criticisms writ
ten. on Hessler's work Hathaway's was
the only n %emanating from a reader
who had been in touch with the au-
thor's fancies. How many readers had
been similarly sympathetic cannot be
determined.
When Hathaway's chief saw that the
magazine had during his absence been