第44部分(第2/7 页)

ope；　death　overtakes　me　while　these　still　remain。

Here　I　must　go　back　a　little。　In　the　winter　of　1886；　as　I　remember　very　much　against　my　own　will；　I　was　worried　into　writing　an　article　about　“Fiction”　for　the　Contemporary　Review。

It　is　almost　needless　for　me　to　say　that　for　a　young　writer　who　had　suddenly　e　into　some　kind　of　fame　to　spring　a　dissertation　of　this　kind　upon　the　literary　world　over　his　own　name　was　very　little　short　of　madness。　Such　views　must　necessarily　make　him　enemies；　secret　or　declared；　by　the　hundred。　There　are　two　bits　of　advice　which　I　will　offer　to　the　youthful　author　of　the　future。　Never　preach　about　your　trade；　and；　above　all；　never　criticise　other　practitioners　of　that　trade；　however　profoundly　you　may　disagree　with　them。　Heaven　knows　there　are　critics　enough　without　your　taking　a　hand　in　the　business。　Do　your　work　as　well　as　you　can　and　leave　other　people　to　do　theirs；　and　the　public　to　judge　between　them。　Secondly；　unless　you　are　absolutely　driven　to　it；　as　of　course　may　happen　sometimes；　never　enter　into　a　controversy　with　a　newspaper。

To　return：　this　unfortunate　article　about　“Fiction”　made　me　plenty　of　enemies；　and　the　mere　fact　of　my　remarkable　success　made　me　plenty　more。　Through　no　fault　of　mine；　also；　these　foes　found　a　very　able　leader　in　the　person　of　Mr。　Stead；　who　at　that　time　was　the　editor　of　the　Pall　Mall　Gazette。　I　should　say；　however；　that　of　late　years　Mr。　Stead　has　quite　changed　his　attitude　towards　me　and　has　indeed　bee　very　plimentary；　both　with　reference　to　my　literary　and　to　my　public　work。　For　my　part；　too；　I　have　long　ago　forgiven　his　onslaughts；　as　I　can　honestly　say　I　have　forgiven　everybody　else　for　every　harm　that　they　have　done；　or　tried　to　do　me。

To　go　back　to　“Jess。”　Being　somewhat