?

'Friendly to all, save caitiffs foul and wrong,But stern to guard the Holy Land of Song.'"

"What a comment is this on American criticism! O, Barry, it is such men as you, with fine taste and fine talent, who bring literature into disrepute. Your genius gives you responsible places in the world of letters, and how you wrong the trust!"

"Thank you," returned Barescythe, coldly, "you blend flattery and insult so ingeniously, that I hesitate whether to give you the assurance of my distinguished consideration, or knock you down."

"Either you please, Barry. I have spoken quite as honestly, if not so bluntly as you; and I regret that I have so little to say in favor of your inconsistent criticism. I am sorry you dislike my novel, but—"

I looked toward the chair in which Barescythe had been sitting.

He was gone.

I was not surprised, for Barry does few things"after the manner of men," and a ceremonious departure is something he never dreams of. I sat and thought of what had been said. I wondered if we were the dregs of time, the worthless leaves of trees that had borne their fruit—if there were none among us,

"Like some of the simple great ones goneForever and ever by!"

And lastly, I wondered if any of our city papers had such a critical appendage as T. J. Barescythe.

It is pleasant to have your friend Mr. Smith pat you patronisingly on the back, and say, "My dear fellow, when is your book coming out?"

Of course, you send Mrs. Smith a copy after that—and all Mrs. Smith's relations.

"Daisy's Necklace" is nearly ready. The following advertisement, which I cut from "The Evening Looking Glass" of last Thursday, illustrates the manner in which "my publishers," Messrs. Printem & Sellem, make their literary announcements:

"We have in Press, and shall publish in thecourse of a few days, a New Workof rare merit, entitled--

A THRILLING NOVEL, SURPASING,in pathos and quiet satire,the most felicitous efforts of Dickens!!

PRINTEM & SELLEM,

Publishers."

That was rather modest and pleasant; but it is pleasanter than all to have an early copy of your book placed on the breakfast-table, unexpectedly, some sunshiny morning—to behold, for the first time, the darling of your meditation in a suit of embossed muslin. How your heart turns over—if you are not used to the thing. How you make pauses between your coffee and muffins, to admire the clear typography, the luxurious paper, the gold letters on the back!

Messrs. Printem & Sellem sent me two out-of-town papers, containing notices of "Daisy." These notices were solicited by advance copies of the work, for the purpose of being used in the publication advertisement. It is curious to remark how great minds will differ.

[From the Blundertown Journal.]

"Daisy's Necklace, and what cameof it.New-York: Printem andSellem.

Thisproduction is an emanationfrom the culminating mind of gloriousgenius! Nothing like it has been producedin this century. It possesses allthe fine elements of Dickens' novels,without any of their numerous defects.Its scope, its pathos, and wit, is[B]beyond all praise. Our Britannic brethrenwill no longer ask, 'Who readsan American book?' For we can reply,'The World!'

"We learn, from good authority, thatthe publishers have received orders fortwenty thousand copies of the work, inadvance of its publication. We have nodoubt of it; for 'Daisy's Necklace' willshed new lustre on the name of AmericanLiterature! Envious authors willabuse the work. As the immortal Goethesays, 'De gustibus non est disputandum!' Our rush of advertisements preventsus from making voluminousextracts from the novel; this, however,would be useless, aseverybodywillread it forthemselves.

"Orders addressed toHiggins & Co.,of this town, will be promptly filled."

I should take the editor of the "Blundertown Journal" to be a man of cultured taste, appreciative and discriminating. The second review was not quite so "favorable," and can scarcely be called "a first-rate notice."

[From the Frogpond Gazette.]

"Daisy's Necklace" is the sillytitle of an absurd novel about to beissued by Printem & Sellem, ofNew-York. From the fact that the author'sname is withheld from the title-page,we infer that he hadsomefriends—some few who were not wholly willingthat he should make a donkey ofhimself. We have read a great deal oftrash in our day; but 'Daisy's Necklace'is the king of all vapid novels,—sentimental in sentiment, flaccid infiction, and entirely intolerable frombeginning to end. The first forty pagesput us to sleep. We advise all druggiststo keep the book for sale,—as ananodyne.

"The binding is good, and that isall the praise we can give so contemptiblean abortion. A reading publicthat tolerates a novel like this, must bemade up of very good-natured persons—assinine in temperament, and mentallyobtuse.

"This 'work,' we presume, is writtenby that much-abused and prolific myth—'a young gentleman of this city,'distinguished,of course. We believethat he writes all of Printem & Sellem'sbooks. At all events, those enterprisinggentlemen always have 'a startlingnovel' in press, from his immortalpen. What a long string of sinsthese gentlemen have to answer for!What a commotion there would beamong the shelves of their book-store,if dead authors could come back andreclaim stolen property! If the shadeofLindley Murraycould stalk among them!

"For our part, we had rather seethe Hudson River Railroad's list of'dead and wounded,' than Printem &Sellem's list of 'Popular Publications!'But it is consoling to know that bookslike 'Daisy's Necklace,' in spite of'purchased puffery,' find their level at lastas linings for portmanteaus and third-ratetrunks. We shall make cigar-lightersof our copy, and thank the starsthat we were not born a book-makinggenius!"

Not a line quoted to prove the justice of the unstrained censure! I could not account for the malignant personality of thiscritique, until Barry informed me that my publishers never advertised their books in the columns of the "Frogpond Gazette." This, of course, explained it. I only wish I had the stubborn editor of the "Frogpond" at arm's length, I would try the consistency of his ears.

I was somewhat astonished, the next day, to find how ingeniously Messrs. Printem & Sellem made the adverse criticism subservient to their interests.

My lucubration was out.

The "Post" said so; the "Morning Rabid" said it; the "Evening Looking-Glass" said it; and a host of small fry echoed the important fact. I unfolded "The Rabid," and beheld the following advertisement:

"PUBLISHED THIS DAY,A Novel of Unprecedented Power, entitled,DAISY'S NECKLACE,AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

THE 'FROGPOND GAZETTE,'(high authority), in a long reviewof this work says: 'Daisy's Necklaceis the King of all Novels.''The Blundertown Journal' (alsohigh authority) remarks:'This Book is an emanation from theculminating mind of glorious genius!''Nothing like it has been producedin this century!''It has all the fine elements ofDickens' Novels, without any of theirnumerous defects!'Our first edition (20,000 copies) isexhausted, and we beg our friends tohave patience for a few days.WANTED, 4,000 Agents to sell theabove work!!

Printem & Sellem,

Publishers."

"Four thousand agents!" quoth Barry, looking over my shoulder; "I rather think it would takefortythousand to sell an edition of 'Daisy!'"

I laughed at my irate friend, and, igniting a fresh regalia, crossed my feet on the mantel-piece, and remarked, composedly,

"Now for the Critics!"

FINIS.

ERRATUM.

The Greek of my book-making genius, Ralph—— Esq., seems decidedly rusty. He has evidently given his lexicon an icy shoulder. Will the intellectual and erudite reader substitutekyrie eleysonforkyrie elysonon page 131?

FOOTNOTES:[A]Mr. Barescythe, with his characteristic word-catching spirit, wishes to know if grapes and cherries are ripe at one and the same time in New-England.[B]Barescythe says, that the wrong verb used in this paragraph is what editors call "a typographical error."

[A]Mr. Barescythe, with his characteristic word-catching spirit, wishes to know if grapes and cherries are ripe at one and the same time in New-England.

[B]Barescythe says, that the wrong verb used in this paragraph is what editors call "a typographical error."

Transcriber's NoteThe following changes have been carried out:--Page 22. comma changed to period.'gently, gently. Sleep,'Page 60. 'distroted' to 'distorted''highly polished, distorted knocker''kided' to 'kidded''white-kidded, be-ruffled gallants'Incorrectly positioned parenthesis moved from beforethe phrase 'the Museum opposite' to what appears tobe a more logical position at the begining of the phrase'if you would only'Page 98. 'Snarle' to 'Flint''"Don't go on that way," pleaded Flint,'Page 133. 'rythm' to 'rhythm''Musical rhythm'Page 198. 'woes' to 'woos''Strephon woos Chloe as of yore'Page 209. 'Shakspeare' to 'Shakespeare''thoughtless Will Shakespeare'Unusual spelling has been retained as in the original publicationErratum. This has been carried out in the text.

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