Dear Sir, - May I be permitted to say a few words in reply to the letter of "Forward Minx (Matron)" in your issue of August 22nd, in which she criticises very adversely my stories of limbless beauties? I should like to say at once that I quite understand and sympathise with her own personal reactions to these stories. They are certainly not of universal appeal, and they are not intended to be.
"London Life" happens to be a periodical that caters for a very special public interested in the more unusual aspects of life. I take it that readers of this paper do not read the correspondence columns, for example, in order to discover ordinary and everyday affairs. The letters contributed to these columns are concerned with the little interesting and fantastic "kinks" that affect the human mind. Each little "kink" has its group of enthusiastic adherents, and I have no doubt that each group considers the "kinks" of the other groups quite uninterestinq and silly.
Personally, I cannat see what possible interest there can be in wet macintoshes. Nor am I particularly intrigued by tight lacing; while muscular and wrestling women are positively abhorrent to me. But each of these topics appeals to its special group, and I am tolerant enough to allow these groups to be as enthusiastic as they like about their respective "kinks".
Now, although "Forward Minx" finds my stories of limbless beauties abhorrent to her, nevertheless it has become quite plain during the past few years that there is a very large number of readers to whom the particular "kink" with which they deal makes a very stronq appeal. It has been proved by the very many letters that have been contributed to the correspondence columns from all over the world.
There is no doubt at all that this curious and inexplicable "kink" exists and has a large number of adherents quite apart from readers of "London Life". And, though it will appear incredible to "Forward Minx", a pretty one-legged girl, or even a pretty girl without limbs at all, does possess a very definite appeal for certain types of men.
I am really very sorry that "Forward Minx" does not like my stories, and as I have said, I completely understand her attitude. But I feel that perhaps these stories may have brought some romance into the lives of the many one-legged lady readers who have written so enthusiastically about them, and that in that lies their possible justification.
One other fact - these stories appear only at very long intervals, and so are not thrust upon those readers who may not be interested, too frequently.
May I take this opportunity of thanking you, sir, for the excellent way you produced my last story, "The Sign of the Black Butterfly", and also Miss Stanton far her very charming illustrations? I have only one criticism to offer of these drawings - and that is a regret that there were only two of them!
With all best wishes,
Yours very sincerely,
Wallace Stort