The daily Alaskan., 1914-05-01
An ingenious ~
 CTItICISrQ
By P. 4. MITCEIEL

Jimson. an author, having done more scribbing than was good for his health. was ordered by his doctor to go into the country. He chose a small tawu called Hollywood because there was library there, md if he was for bfddou to write he could at least read, which was not what his doctor intend- ed at all. He wished hIs patient to be out of doors-walking, driving, boating, 1 and the like.
 JImson went into the library as soon as he reached Hollywood. It was a small affair." and he had read most of i the books 1t contained, but there was 1 that in the atmosphere of the place which attracted him, and he would rather read a book be didn't like than none at all. He had finished writing a novel before leaving home and had ] brought d copy with him, which he ! deposited in the library
 One day while he was sitting at a | table intended for those who wished to read in the library with a book be- 1 fore him the silence of the place was ! broken by the entrance of woman. She had a quick step and q piQuant look a5out her. Going to the shelves containing fiction. she cast her eye ! rapidly over the books and at once 1 bounced upon Jimson's novel. Xvi doutIy she had exhausted the shelves 1 and recognized a ucw book the mo- mru. she saw it. He'ug in q hurry to get at it.. she took a seat by n window and began its peru%aL
 This interested Jimson very much indeed more than the book be was graGiu- An author is hungry for criticism. and he watched the young lady as she made the pages fly, sats- fed that his production was making a | prot"md impression on her. At times her DruwS would contract at some ac- ton or sentiment it contained; at oth- CTS her face would take on a benign expression when perhaps 8 character was showing some heroic trait. The book waS short one. and tue lady read ir ut one sitting When she had fuishvI and was about replacing it on the shelf Jimson stepped up to her ! aud, lowing. GefercntMlIy said:
 Beg pardon. am a stranger in 1 the town. with nothing to do. I am ] unfamiliar with the books in this li- l bmry and would lc greatly obliged to you if you would recommend me something to read"
 "rinIou, history, travel, philosophy - or what|
 "Ftcuou. l have noticed that yon have been absorbed in a book you were reading. Could you recommend it:"
 "No."
 Jimsou was quite taken abacE by this. but he recovered himself and said:
 "I am surprised. from the interest ! you appeared to take in it, to hear you say that What is there about it you don't like"
 The characters"
 "WhaCs the matter with them?'
 "Wcn. there's Margaret Lee. What did she want 10 throw herself away on that country professor for when she could have made Donald Kim5all happy and saved him from drink? Then there's Edward Atkinson, the most ncrfcrt flop 1 ever heard of 1t seems to me can see him HOW pranc- ing along. the cOncejted puppy, think tne himself the most splendid fellow in tho world old Mrs. Perkins, who was forever worrying over that boy of hers because he wouldn't wear an over coat OF rubbers. was a fool. She would declare that he shouldn't have another cent of spending money for week, then give him a five dollar bill for a football. She was spelling the boy"
 How did you like the heroT
 The hero. l would just like to get hold of that man. He aggravated me more than any character in the book, Why. if he made love to me as he did to Alice LonsdaIc Td-Id'- ? "What would you do"
 "Td stick a pin in him"
 'I suppose these persons will imme- diately pass out of your mind now that you have finished the booS.'
 Not at all. I shall remember them always"
 what for-tbeir general cussed- nessT
 "Oh. don't know! suppose so."
 "TEauk you very much for your in- formation. l don't think I'll read the book after your description of it."
 "I certainly wouldn't"
 Jimson wrote hiS publishers that he hsd got an ingenious criticism on his novel He didn't think the book would go. Persons who reed it would not be likely to recommend it to others.
 The next day he went to the library again and while reading looked up aS m enTal.e.
 "There's that little fool who crlti- cised my book" he said to himself.
 She nodded 10 him as she passed went to the fiction shelves and took down a book. JimsOn, who was watch ing her was astonished to see that it was his novel She sat down with if and was soon as much absorbed in it as the day before. JimsOn went up ] Ia