the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Ellen Heaton : Tales

Letter H 32 - 11/1/1857 - "Here is a little bit of criticism at last by way of example on your beginning of the Butterfly. "I am going to tell you." This is familiar - as if to a child. But half way down page, you becomes thee - with inverted heroic phrase "Despise not" as if it were some very grand person whom you were talking to; this is a dramatic flaw. ?Loveliest creatures that draw food? ? Why not ?feed?. Weak, because too long. If you mean to limit the phrase to proboscidian feeding ? your compliment to the butterflies is weak ? For it is not much to be fairer than Gnats & midges and such like ? who literally draw food. ?Heart of fairest cloud? is pretty. ?Through many of the daylight hours? ? Very long ? but I see it won?t contract.? ?Is it you have sent? ? ?Who have?, I think ? is necessary. I don?t see anything else to snap at for a long way. The fable is very pretty ? if only you will make your caterpillar dramatically correct - & not so much like one of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton?s best heroes. ?Make him full of caterpillar faults ? like a poor mortal ? cold blooded ? also ? as he is - & without a heart... The essence of a good fable is that every beast should have his own proper nature.?

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: John Ruskin      Manuscript: Unpublished short tales

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