E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Christine P. Travers,
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Transcriber's notes:
Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. Allother inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's spelling hasbeen retained.
Missing page numbers correspond to blank pages.
Page 170: The end punctuation of "What means this affectation ofnaïveté." has been changed to "What means this affectation ofnaïveté?"
by
THE GENTLE ART
OF
MAKING ENEMIES
Chelsea
A most curiously well-concocted piratical scheme to publish, withouthis knowledge or consent, a complete collection of Mr. Whistler's"American Register," Paris, March 8, 1890.writings, letters, pamphlets, lectures, &c., has been nipped in thebud on the very eve of its accomplishment. It appears that the bookwas actually in type and ready for issue, but the plan was to bringout the work simultaneously in England and America. This caused delay,the plates having to be shipped to New York, and the strain of secrecyupon the conspirators during the interval would seem to have been toogreat. In any case indications of surrounding mystery, quitesufficient to arouse Mr. Whistler's attention, brought about his rapidaction. Messrs. Lewis and Lewis were instructed to take out immediateinjunction against the publication in both England and America, andthis information, at once cabled across, warning all publishers in theUnited States, exploded the plot, effectually frustrating theelaborate machinations of those engaged in it.
This pirated collection of letters, writings, &c.,"New York Herald," London Edition, March 23,1890.to whosefrustrated publication in this country and America we have alreadyalluded, was seized in Antwerp, at the printers', on Friday last—thevery day of its contracted delivery. The persistent and reallydesperate speculator in this volume of difficult birth, baffled in hisattempt to produce it in London and New York had been tracked toAntwerp by Messrs. Lewis and Lewis; and he was finally brought down byMaître Maeterlinck, the distinguished lawyer of that city.
With regard to this matter, to which we have already alluded on aprevious occasion, Messrs. Lewis and Lewis have received the followingletter from Messrs. Field and