distinction, and a throng of occasional contributors who came anxiously
every night to bring the editor-in-chief their offering of articles,
which, for the most part, were rejected.

Among all these, most attention was attracted by a young man, not as yet
regularly attached to the staff, hideous, rickety, but well dressed, who
was accustomed to write papers on literary criticism, always signed with
the pseudonym _Rosa de te_, or Tea Rose. He was very severe on authors,
and always felt it his duty to give them sound advice about the art
which they practised. Time and again he assured them that this thing was
not human, that was not like life, and the other was not in good form.
He had a great deal to say about life, which, in his opinion, no author
knew anything about, nor about women either. Only _Rosa de te_ had a
correct notion of the world and of woman's heart.

From the very beginning of his criticisms, he endeavored to put the
author in the prisoner's box, while he himself mounted the judge's
bench, wherefrom he would ask questions, administer blame, lay down the
law, and make sarcastic and humorous flings.

"Where did Don Fulano[12] ever know of a young girl exclaiming, 'ah!'
when she had the tooth-ache?... It is evident that Don Fulano has not
often set foot in the salons of the aristocracy!... Life, Don Fulano, is
not as you paint it; it is necessary to have lived within the charmed
circle of society if one aspire to give a correct picture of it.... What
we fail to find in Don Fulano's work is the plot.... And the plot, Don
Fulano, the plot?... What kind of a character is the hero of his work?
In one chapter he says that he has a tremendous appetite, and liked
nothing better than to eat a box of Nantes sardines, and a few chapters
further on he declares that he detests sardines! What kind of logic is
that? Characters in art must be clearly defined, logical, not a
patchwork. Don Fulano's _protagonista_ here alone in the course of the
work, according to our count, makes nineteen resolutions. Does Don
Fulano think that nineteen resolutions are sufficient for a hero? Our
opinion would be that it was not enough for even a subordinate
character.... And so there is no way of preventing the character from
being bungling, colorless, lacking in life and energy. Energy in the
characters of novels and dramas I cannot weary of recommending to our
authors.... Besides, you ought to endeavor, Don Fulano, to be more
original.