Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-08
The Sword of Truth


She glanced over to MIN, with just
+, toneh OF impotence.
DOCS It matterT
mo; but would like to know"
Her face flushed to deeper Grim
ION, but she laughed as she ans
Twered.
"A book you detest, john Richard
Barton's latcst--'The Wake Of .hs
Ship"
HE TELLS HER.
John Perrlam shifted In his chair,
and spoke more irritRbly than usual
How can you read such rubbish >"
1T amusss mo / confess l rather
like itr
John Perrlam shrugged his shoul-
ders, and tnsre was a contemDtuous
smile on his face
Like It? Coco Lord! You know
my opinion OF It. and of the other
precious 'masterpieces' by tho same
author doomed by the ha'penry
press"
"Yos." said Alice Perrl&m. IL know
your opinion of st. / have read
only this afternoon"
She pointed to a copy Of his paper
lying on tho little table by her side
'oh, that was q cruel review, John
It must have cut the man like a sharp
knife"
1T was the simple truth. As critic
have to do my duty--to toll the
truth"
The truth"
Mrs. Perrlam raised her hands
N..g H. ~
fall again into her lap.
Need the truth be told so brutality
Need It be used to strip tho flesh on
the bones OF an Author7 Think of tho
man who wrote this book. He didn't
write II for fun. Perhaps he wrote 1t
to earn his bread and butter, to Keep
his home together. Perhaps he wrote
IL in agony and tears. But your Gym
icism piercss his emotion, ridicules his
sentiment, holds up some Of his hasty
phrases. his swift slipshod sentences,
TO the laughter OF literary pedsnts.
John, II is 80 easy to oriticise, so DIFF
ficult TO create"
Pertains face was quito white
Never before had his wife spoken ia
him like this. Her words stabbed
him. She was using the sword OF
truth Perhaps she knew that Bhs
was hurting him, for her own face
had lost its color and her eyes were
burning. But she held up the book
W hich had been on her lap. and spoke
again:
Take this man. Richard Barton
You have naysd him not once. but
three tlmes. And yet some OF his
Ideas are strangely like your own
When read his books seem to hear
81 MANN aF Va
thoughts express your own character
! should have imagined that his
novels would havo appealed to you
why be SO hard on HIM"
The man groaned. He came for
ward to his wife and took her hands.
There was a great emotion in his
face and in his voice
alice, the truth is always cruel
You have told me the truth tonight
end II has hurt me. But oh, dear, l
have worse truth 20 tell You now
Have you courage TO hear IT." He
had no courage TO tell. Yet in q
broken way he told her OF mis- dis.
nissal from his post OF tho loss OF
the salary which had kept them IN
comfort after their years OF struggle
She took his cold hands and drew
them to her breast.
We shall never see poverty again
am rich, John. Rtch"
Rich
It seemed to him that she had gone
little mad
She laughed nervously
"Oh, unobsorVant man! How do
you think l bought this gown. on that
poor salary of yours How do you
think / have been buying so many
pretty things OF late, out OF the
housekeeping money! That holiday
OF mine In Paris! Oh. had to hide
my extrAVagRnce there John. nv
poor dear, II you likc you mead never
work again, for l have enough for
both"
YOU
He was frightened The world
seemed to have slipped beneath him
He had no hold upon reality.
! what do you mean"
She blushed very deeply. and nut
/ her head down SO that her forehead
touched his lips
( My dear. ! am Richard Barton, the
successful novelist ......I am the au-
f thar whom NDn rpiH the tTuf N go