The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-05-08
An Ingenious
Criticism

Unison, an author, having done more
ecribbling than was good for his
health. was ordered by his doctor to
90 into the country. He chose a small
town called Hollywood because there
wa a library there. and II he was for
hidden to write be could at least read,
which a not what his doctor intend
ed at all. He wished his patient to be
out of doors-walking. driving, boating.
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
the books It contained. but there was
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 a copy with him. which be
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-
fore him the silence Of the place was
broken by the entrance Of a woman.
She had a quick step and q piquant
look about her. Going to the shelves
containing fiction. she cast her eye
rapidly over the books and at once
pounced upon Jimson's novel. Evil
IDENTIFY she had exhausted the shelves
and recognized q new book the mo-
ment she saw it. Being in a hurry to
get at it, she took a seat by a window
and began its perusal.
This interested Unison very much
indeed, more than the book he was
reading. An author Is hungry for
criticism, and he watched the young
lady as she made the pages fly. salts
fed that his production was making q
profound impression on her. At times
her brows would contract at some &C
ton or sentiment 1t contained; at 9TH
ers her face would take on a benign
expression when perhaps a character
was showing some heroic trait. The
book was a short one. and the lady
read it at one sitting. When she had
finished and was about replacing It on
the shelf Jimson stepped up to her
and. bowling. deferentially said:
beg pardon! am a stranger in
the town. with nothing to do. l am
unfamiliar with the hooks in this H.
brary and would be greatly obliged to
you If you would recommend me
something to read"
"F1ction, history, travel, philosophy
or whatT'
Fiction. l have noticed that yos
have been absorbed In q beck you
were reading. Could you recommend
1T"
mo"
Jimson was quite taken aback By
this, but he recovered himself and
said:
II am surprised. from the interest
you appeared to take in It, to hear you
say that What u there about 4 you
don't like"
''The characters"
whats the matter with thenf'
well. there's Margaret Lee. What
did she want to throw herself away
on that country professor for when
she could have made Donald Kimball
happy and saved him from drink2
Then there's Edward Atkinson. the
most perfect fop l Eve heard Of. It
seems to me l can see him new pranc-
ing along. the conceited puppy, think.
ing himself the most spbendea fellow
in the world. Old Mrs. Perkins, who
forever worrying ver that boy Of
hers because he wouldn't wear an over
coat or rubbers. was q fool. She would
declare that he shouldn't have another
cent Of spending money for q week.
then give him a Eve dollar bill for q
football. She was spelling the boy"
"How did you IKE the heror'
The hero! l would Just Kke to get
hold Of that man! he aggravated me
more than any character In the book.
Why. II be made love to me - he did
to Alice Lonsdale rd-I'd"-
"WAat would you dor
I'D stick a pin in himr'
II suppose these persons viii imme-
diately pass out Of your mind now that
you have finished the book"
mot at all. l shall remember them
always"
"What for-their general csssed-
ness2"
"Oh. l don't know! I suppose 20"
Thank you very much for your in
formation. l don't think I'll read the
book after your description Of It."
II certainly wouldn't"
Unison wrote his publishers that he
had got an ingenious criticism on his
novel. He didn't think the book would.
80. Persons who read It would not be
likely to recommend It to others.
The next day he went to the library
again and while reading looked up at
IN entrance.
There's that little fool who criti.
cised my book" be said to himself.
She nodded to him AZ she passed.
went to the fiction shelves and took
down q book. Unison. who was watch
Ing her. was astonished to see that
it was his novel. She sat down with