按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
I suppose that Lang did send this letter； and that I returned it to him。 I believe that subsequently he lost both the letter and the poem。 Luckily； however； I took the trouble to keep a copy of the latter； and here it is。
1。
Awdawcious Odyshes；
Your conduc’ is vicious；
Your tale is suspicious
？？？An’ queer。
Ye ancient sea…roamer；
Ye dour auld beach…ber；
Frae Haggard to Homer
？？？Ye veer。
2。
Sic veerin’ and steerin’！
What port are ye neerin’
As frae Egypt to Erin
？？？Ye gang？
Ye ancient auld blackguard；
Just see whaur ye’re staggered
From Homer to Haggard
？？？And Lang！
3。
In stunt and in strife
To gang seeking a wife —
At your time o’ life
？？？It was wrang。
An’ see！ Fresh afflictions
Into Haggard’s descriptions
An’ the plagues o’ the Egyptians
？？？Ye sprang！
4。
The folk ye’re now in wi’
Are ill to begin wi’
Or to risk a hale skin wi’
？？？In breeks —
They’re blacker and hetter —
（Just ask your begetter）
And far frae bein’ better
？？？Than Greeks。
5。
Ther’s your Meriamun：
She’ll mebbe can gammon
That auld…furrand salmon
？？？Yoursel’；
An’ Moses and Aaron
Will gie ye your fairin’
Wi’ fire an’ het airn
？？？In Hell。
I refuse to continue longer。 I had an excellent half…verse there； but couldn’t get the necessary pendant； and anyway there’s no end to such truck。
Yours；
R。 L。 S。
Now I will turn to my modern novel； “Beatrice。” Oddly enough； Lang liked it； although he says somewhere that he “infinitely prefers” Umslopogaas and Skallagrim。
I have read your chapters of “Beatrice。” Sursum corda： it moves； it has go and plenty of it。 。 。 。 I fear it is a deal more popular line than “The World’s Desire。”
May 8th。
I have read “Beatrice；” and if she interests the public as much as she does me； she’ll do。 But I have marked it a good deal； and would be glad to go through it with you； looking over the scribbled suggestions。 It is too late； but what a good character some male Elizabeth would have been： nosing for dirt； scandal； spite and lies。 He might easily have been worked in； I think。 。 。 。 They ＇i。e。 the hero and heroine＇ are a good deal more in love than Odysseus； Laertes’ son； and Mrs。 Menelaus！ It is odd： usually you “reflect” too much； and yet in this tale； I think； a few extra reflections might have been in place。 I feel a Thackerayan desire to moralise。
Here is another allusion。
A letter I wrote anent B。 was never posted。 I said I did not quite think Geoffrey gave the sense of power； etc。； and that his rudeness to B。 was overdone and cubbish； which you notice yourself。 I think； in volume shape； that might yet be amended。
Miss Marie Corelli writes on June 12； 1890：
If you are still in town； and you would favour me with a call on Sunday afternoon next； about five o’clock； I should be so pleased to reneonths past； when your kindly words made me feel more happy and encouraged me in my uphill clamber！ I saw you from the gallery at the Literary Fund Dinner； and wished I had had the chance of speaking to you。 Your book “Beatrice” is beautiful — full of poetry and deep thought — but I don’t believe the public — that with obstinate pertinacity look to you for a continuation ad infinitum of “King Solomon’s Mines” and “She” — will appreciate it as they ought and as it deserves。 Whenever I see a World and Pall Mall Gazette vulgarly sneering at a work of literature； I conclude that it must be good — exceptionally so！ — and this is generally a correct estimate： it certainly was so concerning “Beatrice。”
Trusting you will e and see me （we are very quiet people and don’t give crushes！）；
Believe me；
Very sincerely yours；
Marie Corelli。
Here is a letter from the late Lady Florence Dixie； whom I first met years before in South Africa； which is interesting as showing that in the year 1890 she held views that since then have bee very mon。 In short； she was a proto…suffragette。
You will； I hope； excuse this letter； and not misunderstand me in what I say。 I have just finished reading your “Beatrice；” and have put it down with a feeling that it is only another book in the many which proclaims the rooted idea in men’s minds that women are born to suffer and work for men； to hide all their natural gifts that man may rule alone。
Does it not strike you that Beatrice — if she had been given equal chances with Geoffrey — would have made a name as great； aye； greater than his？ Yet because she is a woman you will give her no such chance。 You leave her to her useless； aimless； curtailed and wretched life which ends in suicide。 Think you not that Beatrice in Geoffrey’s shoes might have made a great name for good？ Forgive me — but as you can write； why not use your pen to upraise woman； to bid her bee a useful member of society — the true panion and co…mate of man； and they working together shall help to make impossible such miserable victims of a false and unnatural bringing up as Elizabeth and Lady Honoria？ You hold such women up to scorn。 Yet are they the fruit of unnatural laws which men have wrongfully imposed on womankind。 Greatly and in many ways does woman err in all paths of life — but is she entirely to blame？ You men have made her your plaything and slave： she is regarded more in the light of a brood mare than anything else； and if within her narrow sphere she errs； who is to blame？ Not her； believe me； but the false laws that made her what she is。
I have just published a new book； “Gloriana； or； The Revolution of 1900。”
Will you give me the pleasure of accepting a copy if I send you one？ If you read it； you will not misunderstand this letter I hope。
Believe me；
Sincerely yours；
Florence Dixie。
P。S。 — I hope you will excuse me for sending you some papers which will show you that there are some women； and men too； who feel that the cruel position of woman is unbearable。
Alas！ 1900 has e and gone years ago； and the Revolution is still to seek。 But perhaps it is at hand。 At any rate Lady Florence strove manfully for her cause in those early days； if in the circumstances “manfully” is the right word to use。
I find a letter dealing with “Beatrice” from Cordy Jeaffreson； from which I quote an extract：
。 。 。 It is a fine； stirring； effective story； but with all its power and dexterity it is not the book which will determine your eventual place in the annals of literature。 You will write that book some ten years hence； when I shall be resting under the violets； and when you are enjoying the fullness of your triumph； you will perhaps give me a kindly thought and say； “The old man was right。” In a line； it is no small thing to have thrown off “Beatrice；” but you will do something much greater when “you’ve e to forty year。” The story strengthens my confidence in you； though it falls short of all I hoped for you。 This is not damning with faint praise。
Ever yours；
J。 C。 J。
Alas！ that wondrous work of fiction which Cordy Jeaffreson anticipated never was and never will be written by me。 Be it good or be it bad； the best that I can do in the lines of romance and novel…writing is to be found among the first dozen or so of the books that I wrote； say between “King Solomon’s Mines” and “Montezuma’s Daughter。” Also I would add this。 A man’s mind does not always remain the same。 People are apt to say of any individual writer that he has gone off； whereas the truth may be merely that he has changed； and that his abilities are showing themselves in another form。 Now； as it happens in my own case； in the year 1891 I received a great shock； also subsequently for a long period my health was bad。 Although from necessity I went on with the writing of stories； and do so still； it has not been with the same zest。 Active rather than imaginative life has appealed to me more； and resulted in the production of such works as “Rural England；” “A Farmer’s Year；” and others。 Moreover； I have never really cared for novel…writing： romance has always made a greater appeal to me。
Here is a letter from Lang； to whom I had evidently shown that from Mr。 Jeaffreson which is quoted above。
I don’t agree much with Jeaffreson。 The book is a promise； by its nature； and rather contains good things than is very good； to my taste； but it is only taste； not reason。 Lord knows what you may write； or anybody read； in ten years。 More than sufficient to the day is the evil thereof。 The character of Geoffrey goes against my grain； but what he should have been； to satisfy me； I don’t know。
I imagine you missed your tip； by not being born nine hundred years ago。 I might have been a monk of Ely； and you might have flayed me and posed a saga at first hand。 It would have been a good saga； but I could not stand being flayed； I know。 I am worried and sad and seedy； and far from a successful correspondent。 。 。 。 Jeaff。 is very kind； however； though not a prophet nor a critic； I think。 The former quality is much better。
Some years after “Beatrice” was published I was horrified to receive two anonymous or semi…anonymous letters from ladies who alleged that their husbands； or the husbands of someone connected with them — one of them a middle…aged clergyman — after reading “Beatrice；” had made advances to young ladies of that name； or perhaps the young ladies had made advanc