Page:Martha Spreull by Zachary Fleming.pdf/21

Rh followed by all who have more means at their disposal than are needed for supplying them with the common necessaries of life.

As editor of this work I have one word more to say. The artist has not only traced the physical lineaments of his subjects with great skill, but he has been most civil and obliging to the authoress and myself in all our negotiations with him. The publishers, as decent a firm of their class as you will find in a twenty-four hours’ journey, have printed the book well, and, in my humble opinion, have given excellent value for the money. To the critic I have nothing to say. That the authoress is a woman should keep him within the bounds of polite and generous criticism. Should he act otherwise—should he, as is too common now-a-days, venture beyond the limits of fair play, presuming on the defenceless character of an unknown lady—then I have simply to remind him that the law has remedies to which, in my friendly as well as my professional capacity, I cannot fail to have recourse.