A Question
TO THE EDITOR:
Sir—It is, I suppose, to your pleasant satisfaction in “The Critic’s Friend” that I owe the early copy of the Scots Observer, pointed The Scots Observer, April 19, 1890. with proud mark, in the blue pencil of office, whereby the impatient author hastened to indicate the pithy personal paragraphs, that no time should be wasted upon other matter with which the periodical is ballasted.
Exhilarated by the belief that I had been remembered—for vanity’s sake let me fancy that you have bestowed upon me your own thought and hand—I plunged forthwith into the underlined article, and read with much amusement your excellent appreciation.
Having forgotten none of your professional manner as art arbiter, may I say that I can picture to myself easily the sad earnestness with which you now point the thick thumb of your editorial refinement in deprecation of my choicer “rowdyism”? And knowing your analytical conscientiousness, I can even understand the humble comfort you take in Oscar’s meek superiority; but, for the life of me, I cannot follow your literary intention when you say that my care of “‘’Arry,’ dead and neglected by the parish,” goes far to prove that my “sense of smell is not so delicate nor so perfectly trained as” my “sense of sight.”
Do you mean that my discovery of the body is the result of a cold in the head? and that, with a finer scent, I should have missed it altogether? or were you only unconsciously remembering and dreamily dipping your pen into the ink of my former description of “’Arry’s” chronic catarrh? In any case, I am charmed with what I have just read, and only regret that the ridiculous “Romeike” has not hitherto sent me your agreeable literature.—Also I am, dear Sir, your obedient servant,