A great "Punch" editor, being the life, letters, and diaries of Shirley Brooks . ve taken up for years, and shall endeavour tomake the article upon it a decided exception to theordinary notices sone writes of fictional works. It isa gratifying thing to see that a publisher dares topublish such a work, an evidence of courage, which,combined with the two-volume system, promises aspeedy doom to the novel mongering practices ofthe hour. But this is by the way. I am anxiousto ask you whether you are at liberty or inclined to 98 ALTON LOCKE let me know the authors name. I will, of course,preserve th
A great "Punch" editor, being the life, letters, and diaries of Shirley Brooks . ve taken up for years, and shall endeavour tomake the article upon it a decided exception to theordinary notices sone writes of fictional works. It isa gratifying thing to see that a publisher dares topublish such a work, an evidence of courage, which,combined with the two-volume system, promises aspeedy doom to the novel mongering practices ofthe hour. But this is by the way. I am anxiousto ask you whether you are at liberty or inclined to 98 ALTON LOCKE let me know the authors name. I will, of course,preserve the secret, and give no clue whatever to it,if that be your wish, but I could deal much moresatisfactorily with the work if I knew anything of thewriters antecedents. If, therefore, you are at libertyto use your discretion in this matter, perhaps you willdo so, and give me whatever information you may thinkit expedient to afford. * Alton Locke * must make a strange sensation. ** Believe me, dear Sirs, ** Yours very truly, Shirley Brooks. 99 CHAPTER VI Punch and the Punch work of a jour-nalist is in itsessence flavour of itevaporates almostas soon as it is does not mellow ; itgoes flat with age. Apartfrom the personality ofits producer, it is, after its day, hardly worthy of con-sideration. That is where it differs from literature, orin fact any work destined to last. The personality ofa Justinian, a Shakespeare, an Edison is a secondarymatter. We have their gifts and that is enough. Butwith the great journalist, the personality behind thejournalism, when its day is past, is the important Shirley Brooks did not leave a single linelacking which English literature would be the poorer,and yet his work is important. He was a master 100 PUNCHS EDITORS mason on one of the stages of the vast building whichis always, we hope, reaching nearer to the stars. Aperson of importance in his day, his personality makesthe doing of his work important. A
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