AN IRISH STORY.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—May I say that in your issue of the 7th, in referring to my short story, " The Witch," which appears in the April number of the National Review; you have done me an injustice. It was not " designed " and is not intended to " illustrate the bestiality of the Irish people." I do not admit they are bestial. Moreover; it is not " propagandist fiction." I venture to think that had your reviewer met it in the columns of some other journal he would not have so considered it.
It was written long before the War and its simple purpose was to tell a story, horrible if you like, but a story ; secondly, I wished to illustrate character and temperament expressing
themselves in action. As I consider that these are the main legitimate inspirations of literary work, I shall be greatly obliged if you will be so good as to publish this disclaimer.—
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