Gratefully and joyfully she accepted Mr. Manning's verdict, and turned her undivided attention upon her new manuscript.
While the critics snarled, the mass of readers warmly approved; and many who did not fully appreciate all her arguments and illustrations, were at least clear-eyed enough to perceive that it was their misfortune, not her fault.
Gradually the book took firm hold on the affections of the people; and a few editors came boldly to the rescue, and ably championed it.
During these days of trial, Edna could not avoid observing one humiliating fact, that saddened without embittering her nature. She found that instead of sympathizing with her, she received no mercy from authors, who, as a class, out-Heroded Herod in their denunciations, and left her little room to doubt that-"Envy's a sharper spur than pay, And unprovoked 'twill court the fray; No author ever spared a brother; Wits are gamecocks to one another."