With regard to the second MS. The story， or rather sketch， is a very fair specimen of light， farcical comedy. Should it be refused by an editor the reason will probably be the extreme slightness of the whole thing. There is some affectation in the expressions， which might be easily cured by excision. I cannot well express an opinion on the literary power or possibilities of the writer without knowing his or her age. There is a certain fluency in the wording， which seems to show that the person is not altogether inexperienced in expressing him or herself， so that if it is the unassisted work of a writer under 25 he is to be praised. There is real humour in the characters. and the sketch altogether is amusing. As first attempts both this and the Midsummer eve story are far above the average.
Believe me to remain
Sincerely yours
Thomas Hardy
Sturminster Newton
Dec 5. 1876
亲爱的史密斯小姐：
我颇感兴趣地读完了您那篇精彩的小故事，我本想对它的作者摆起一副评论家的严肃面孔，但这样做很难。不管怎样，我竭力不去想它出自何人之手，而是按照您希望的那样来实事求是地评价它。
这篇故事被资深的评论家称为大有希望的作品，构思巧妙，情节严谨，但文字本身反映出您在斟酌字句上功力不够，这也许就是您提到的为何那位编辑会拒绝它的原因。这个问题在前面几章非常突出，我冒昧地用铅笔在原稿上圈点出来，以提醒您关注那些让人匪夷所思的地方，好让您重新润色。第一卷的最后两页有些偏离主题，我建议您删去它。在掩饰P小姐与莱根家女儿们之间的恩怨上做得还不够好，甚至连爱丽丝后来的忏悔也不能把这种印象抹去。而另一方面，我要祝贺您把仲夏夜教堂门廊的那一幕处理得很棒，这是真正能窥见功底的地方，堪称全书的点睛之笔。还有，您引进故事主题的方法也令人赞叹，就在人们差不多忘了故事的主题时，出现了拒绝拖货的马经过教堂院子，而爱丽丝紧跟其后这一幕，人们自然而然地会看出它与当时的愉快时光和总的欢乐氛围形成了鲜明对照。