The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 254: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

956 I have read, of the bunch you have been printing. Perhaps you'll say I’m a “ know it all,’ and ought to have a magazine to run myself, but if you print this you will convince several of my friends that this department is no fake. C, D. Myers. Hendricks, West Virginia. I hope your friends are convinced, al- though the letter was not printed for that purpose, but because it seemed to be a criticism from an old reader. However, from your skimming, | do not feel that you have given the new sort of stories a fair chance. Also, brother, if you were so fond of the old Arcosy, how did you come to overlook it for two years? Why not go beyond the table of contents and see if the new writers can’t thrill you ?—Epriror, x ok x “6 Wants Jackson Stories Jprror, ARGOsY : On reading Mr. Lovecraft’s letter of criticism on Fred Jackson’s works J think that he has been very unjust to Mr. Jack- son personally, and also to your most en- tertaining magazine, for Mr. Jackson’s sto- ries are wonderful, and handled in a mas- terly way. If Mr. Lovecraft wishes to display his vocabulary I wish, for the sake of Mr. Jackson's many admirers, he would exhibit it in praising, not criticizing. If you discontinue his stories I am sure your circulation will drop down twenty- five per cent. All your stories are excel- lent, and none can compete with Jackson's, Crirrorp D, Ennis, 282 West Delevan Street, : Buffalo, New York. * * * % Correction for Lovecraft Eprror, Arcosy: In the verses which I sent last October, appeared the couplet: ‘ “Think not good rimester, that IT sought to shew In my last letter, merely what I know.” As printed in the January Argosy, with “ modernized,” “simplified”? or “ Ameri- canized”’ spelling, I see that it reads: “Think not, good rimester, that I sought to shew In my late letter, merely what I knew.” | fear that this will create a wrong im- pression, and convey the idea that I pro-: nounce the verb “to shew” like “shoe,” or “shoo,” instead of in the proper man- ner, riming with “sew.” It seems as though if an alteration of the spelling THE ARGOSY. had to be made, your compositor might have changed “shew” to “show,” thus preserving both rime and sense, and ma- king the couplet conform to that style of spelling which is used in other parts of your magazine. As it is, three faults remain: (1) The rime is destroyed. (2) The sense of “know” is changed from present to past, and (3) “shew” remains unaltered and inharmonious with the general spelling of the verse. t now write only to free myself from the suspicion of pronouncing “shew” to rime with “blue”; I realize that the original fault is mine, and that in writing to a maga- zine wherein a changed or modern form of spelling is employed, I ought to lay aside my own orthographical system and make my manuscript correspond to the usage of the magazine in question. ; Any writings which I may in future in- flict upon Tre Arcosy, will, I assure you, show none of the personal idiosyncrasies which may have characterized my past per- formances. I shall labor sincerely to for- get the good old Johnsonian way of spell- ing and shall endeavor to master the patois which the modern periodical seems in- clined to favor. “ With old orthography I now am thru Since printer’s devils rime my “ shew’ with “knew ”; U'll watch the glorious modern method rize And rival Bennett when [ criticize.” Do not imagine that I fail to appreciate the space in the Log-Book which has been allotted to me, especially since you show by your editorial comment that you do not share my opinion in regard to Jackson. H. P. Lovecrarr, 598 Angell Street, Providence, R. I. P.S. I have a design of writing a novel for the entertainment of those readers who complain that they cannot secure enough of Fred Jackson’s work. It is to be en- titled: “ The Primal Passion, or The Heart of ’Rastus Washington.” H.P.L I trust that this sets you right with the readers. There wasn’t any editing done to your manuscript before it went to the printers, and printers don't apologize. How- ever, don’t worry. You are always wel- come in the Log-Book.—Eprror, $ * x * “ Canada Likes Dwyer Eprror, Arcosy: Let me tell you that ‘* The City of the Unseen” is certainly a brainy piece of work on the part of its noted author, James Francis Dwyer, and I hope he will again endeavor to put as good a novel through as <S Gomichboo (E(o)