Page:Blanchard on L. E. L.pdf/48

the hopes of a friend's success in a first literary enterprise were thus inspiring her even to gaiety, jealousy and calumny were busy with her own name. Nobody can make many friends without making some enemies. L. E. L.'s foes comprised perhaps various persons who, dispraised in the journal to which she was so valued and constant a contributor, associated the critic's opinions with hers; while others might erroneously assign to her influence the rejection of their communications. To these must be added a third class, not a numerous, but a very active one, who never forgive success. Hence the first motive for detraction, which broke out in bitter ridicule of her writings, and then proceeded to the vilest misrepresentation of her conduct. What malignity begins, ignorant, idle, some times even well-meaning gossip, finishes. Those who professed to know nothing about her, aided by their silly curiosity the insidious objects of those who might falsely pretend to know. Unfortunately, the very unguardedness of her innocence served to arm even the feeblest malice with powerful stings; the openness of her nature, and the frankness of her manners, furnished the silly or the ill-natured with abundant materials for gossip. She was always as careless as a child of set forms and rules for conduct. She had no thought, no concern about the interpretation that was likely to be put upon her words, by at least one out of a score of listeners—it was enough for her that she meant no harm, and that the friends she most valued knew this—perhaps she found a wilful and most dangerous pleasure, sometimes, in making the starers stare yet more widely. She defied suspicion. But to induce her to condescend to be on her guard, to put the slightest restraint upon her