▁in ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Dis patch ▁concluded , ▁" Der le th ▁has ▁achieved ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁pro se ▁equivalent ▁of ▁the ▁Spo on ▁River ▁Anth ology ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁Even ing ▁in ▁Spring ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Charles ▁S cri b ners ▁& ▁S ons . ▁This ▁work ▁Der le th ▁considered ▁among ▁his ▁fin est . ▁What ▁The ▁Mil w au kee ▁Journal ▁called ▁" this ▁beautiful ▁little ▁love ▁story ", ▁is ▁an ▁aut obi ographical ▁novel ▁of ▁first ▁love ▁bes et ▁by ▁small - town ▁religious ▁big ot ry . ▁The ▁work ▁received ▁critical ▁pra ise : ▁The ▁New ▁York er ▁considered ▁it ▁a ▁story ▁told ▁" with ▁tend ern ess ▁and ▁charm ", ▁while ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁ ▁concluded : ▁" It ' s ▁as ▁though ▁he ▁turned ▁back ▁the ▁pages ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁di ary ▁and ▁told , ▁with ▁re kind led ▁em otion , ▁of ▁the ▁p angs ▁of ▁pain ▁and ▁the ▁sharp , ▁clear ▁sweet ness ▁of ▁a ▁boy ' s ▁first ▁love ." ▁Helen ▁Const ance ▁White , ▁wrote ▁in ▁The ▁Capital ▁Times ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁"... the ▁best ▁art ic ulated , ▁the ▁most ▁fully ▁discipl ined ▁of ▁his ▁stories ." ▁ ▁These ▁were ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁with ▁Sh adow ▁of ▁Night , ▁a ▁S cri b ners ' ▁novel ▁of ▁which ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Sun ▁wrote : ▁" Struct ur ally ▁it ▁has ▁the ▁per fection ▁of ▁a ▁car ved ▁j ew el ... A