And the third letter, which arrived in the same mail that brought the first two, came from the author himself:
"Dear Mr. Baird: I take it that even editors enjoy an occasional pat on the back, in the midst of the many black looks they receive, so I am presuming to express my appreciation of the way in which you printed my story, 'Beyond the Door,' in your April issue.
"There is a story which might easily have been rendered monotonous by unintelligent press work—because the effect of slowly undermining horror, which I had to attain, is akin to monotony. You avoided that pitfall by change of type—and (this to me is the remarkable thing) I can tell by the way in which you ran in those changes that you got absolutely every subtle suggestion which I concealed in that story—and I buried quite a lot of them there. You must have read my manuscript with a microscope. May I take the liberty of expressing my opinion that as an editor you are emphatically THERE?
"J. Paul Suter."
We almost dislike to print this last one—it's too much like pinning a medal on our coat—but we can plead, in extenuation, that the excellence of Mr. Suter's story was not due to our editing, or printer's directions, or anything of the sort, but solely to his splendid craftsmanship. He wrote a good story and we published it, and no amount of editing could have made it any better.
If you failed to read "Beyond the Door" we earnestly recommend that you do so now. In either case, don't miss his next story. It is called "The Guard of Honor," and is fully as "creepy" as the first—and you will find it in the next issue of WEIRD TALES.
Suter is a coming writer. No doubt of that. And since he tells us, "I would rather write horror stories than anything else," we hope to publish the best of his work.
WE'VE ransacked a bale of Letters to the Editor in an effort to find some not sweet with praise! and we've found only two, and here they are:
"Dear sir: I have purchased two copies of your new magazine, have read the stories, and also the praise liberally supplied by friends and readers. I think it is time to offer a few words of criticism, since applause and praise of this kind does not mean much. The public lauds any new effort; it applauds anything, even moving pictures.
"The stories you have printed so far can be grouped under three general headings: Ghost Stories, Snake Stories, Insanity Stories. In your first issue you printed a story called 'Ooze' which approached the type of semi-scientific stories that are liked intensely by all those who are fond of the unusual, and if you would publish at least one story of this type in each issue of your magazine I am sure that your efforts would register larger sales."—Conrad A. Brandt, 563 West 150th Street New York City.
"My dear Mr. Baird: At last it arrived—that second volume. If you play that slow trick again on us we shall send one of our aviators to Chicago to get the so strenuously desired copy.
"Allow me to tell you which story in the April number I liked best and which I hate best. 'The Scar' by Dr. Carl Ramus was a gem. Plausible, scientifically correct, well told, no words wasted. 'The Whispering Thing' is the acme of foolish, silly, nonsensical, high-school girl, bucket-of-blood story. If you waste more paper on such rotten stuff I predict failure in caps."—Adeline Jugol, Covina. Apartments, Los Angeles.
Ouch!
Luckily, though, not all our readers disrelished "The Whispering Thing." For instance:
"Dear sir: Having recently read the second issue of WEIRD TALES, I cannot refrain from expressing my congratulations on your rare fiction taste as an editor. I enjoyed reading the novelette by Harold Ward, but the authors who wrote 'The Whispering Thing' have an imagination which is extraordinary. I happened to read this story late at night, and I began to look for 'spooks.' Talk about horror and terror combined! This story is nothing short of a marvel.
"I sincerely believe that you have an innate tendency for selecting stories of this type, and if you keep this class of stories running you will, without the least doubt, be a success."—O. R. Hamilton, 4002 Avenue F, Austin, Texas.
With regard to the poetic effusion that follows, we're not sure whether "Witch Hazel" is spoofing us or having a spasm of ecstasy. At any rate, we'll take a chance and print the thing just as she wrote it:
"Dear Editor: No words can express how much I enjoy your magazine. Here is what I think of it:
"Oh, what is more pleasure than a show,
A party, bon bons, or even a beau?
Well, here's the answer (all readers take heed);
WEIRD TALES and a nice quiet place to read!
"It's my favorite magazine, and I can hardly wait for each number to come out. I think it is the most wonderful magazine in the world, as it is so different, so extremely interesting—but there! I can never say enough in its praise. As my little verse says, 'I like it better than anything,' and I've often said I wished some editor would publish just such a magazine, and thank you, Mr. Baird (you Good Fairy) for doing so. I can hardly wait for the next issue. Thank you for filling a long felt need, and good luck!"—Witch Hazel of St. Louis.
WE'VE scores of flattering letters here, but we're not going to print them all [prolonged and loud applause], because, for one thing, we haven't space, and, for another, we have a sneaking suspicion that our delight in reading them is not always shared by others. So we'll run only five or six more, and call it a day.
"My dear Mr. Baird: I don't mind admitting that I was a little leary about WEIRD TALES when I first heard of it. The fact of the matter is, I picked up the first copy with a good deal of prejudice against it. The reason for this prejudice is clear enough. I have always had a healthy respect for mystery stories and believe they are the hardest kind to write—and to judge.
"For this reason I am moved to write you and tell you how very much my view point has changed. You have not only sold me, you have enthused me. There is no question about your future. I've talked to many friends who have read the March issue, and I know."—A. M. Oliver, 148 North Portage Path, Akron, Ohio.
