Volume I Part 19 (2/2)

The dove finds in a sweet voice the echo of its own plaint,--resistance becoer becomes the lover

And thou before whom I tremble and burn,--what ocean-billohat teether? What pearl or marble, what flower or dove?

L HEARN

DEAR BALL,--Hope you will like the above rough prose version--of course all the unison is gone, all the soul of it has exhaled like a perfume;--this is a faded flower, pressed between the leaves of a book,--not the exquisite blossorew from the heart of Theophile Gautier

L H

TO REV WAYLAND D BALL

NEW ORLEANS, 1883

DEAR BALL,--So far fro a ”poor letter,” as you call it, I derived uncommon pleasure therefro letters when you have much more important es or more is the labour equivalent to the production of a column article for a newspaper; and it would be unreasonable to expect any correspondent to devote somore than once in several months I have always found the friends riteletters becoether at last Nevertheless a great deal may be said in a feords, and

I shouldchurch, but I suppose, as you say, that your youth is for the ti a drawback

But I certainly would not feel in the least annoyed upon that score You have all your future before you in a very bright glow, and I do not believe that any one can expect to obtain real success before he is thirty-five or forty You cannot even forge yourself a good literary style before thirty; and even then it will not be perfectly tempered for some years But from what I have seen of your ability, I should anticipate a more than common success for you, and I believe you will create yourself a very wide and strong weapon of speech And your position is very enviable There is no calling which allows of so much leisure for study and so many opportunities for self-cultivation Just fancy the vast a you will be able to accomplish within five years, and the immense value of such literary absorption I have the misfortune to be a journalist, and it is hard work to study at all, and attend to one's diurnal duty Another ood library You have in Boston one of the finest in the world, and I believe you will be apt to regret it if you leave Speaking of study,--you know that science has broadened and deepened so enorhlyhis whole life thereunto The scholars of the twentieth century will have to be specialists or nothing In matters of literary study, pure and simple, a fixed purpose and plan must be adopted I will tell you what , and have my ”future” before me, so to speak I never read a book which does not powerfully iination; but whatever contains novel, curious, potent iery I always read, no matter what the subject When the soil of fancy is really well enriched with innurow spontaneously There are four things especially which enrich fancy,-- really the crystallization of all human desire after the iious pressure of suffering Now there is very little really good poetry, so it is easy to choose In history I think one should only seek the extraordinary, the y the most fantastic and sensuous, just as in romance But there is onestyle--science No romance equals it If one can store up in his brain the y, etc, they furnish hies, symbols, and illustrations With these studies I should think one could not help forging a good style at least--an iive myself five yearsBut with your opportunities I could hope to donow Opportunity to study is supreive us the keys hich to unlock libraries of knowledge hereafter Isn't it horrible to hold the keys in one's hands and never have time to use theain until you have plenty of time;--I know youabout anything in my special line of study, let ht be able to be of some use in matters of reference

TO REV WAYLAND D BALL

NEW ORLEANS, 1883

MY DEAR BALL,--I suppose you are quite disgusted with my silence; but you would excuse it were you to see how busy I have been, especially since our one on a vacation of some months

I was amused at your ideal description of me As you supposed, I am swarthy-- to look at, and the profile view conceals the loss of an eye I am also very short, a sood health

I read with extreme pleasure your essay, and while I do not hold the saood Furthermore, if you familiarize the public with Buddhis about the very state of things I hope for Buddhism only needs to be known to make its influence felt in America I don't think that works like those of Sinnett, or Olcott's curious ”Buddhist Catechisood;--they are too nosticis But the higher Buddhisested by men like Emerson, John Weiss, etc,--will yet have an apostle We shall live, I think, to see soratify you by my reply about your projected literary sketches The policy of the paper has been to give the preference to lady writers on such subjects, with a few exceptions to which some literary reputation has been attached You would have a reatly restricted as to space You did not write, it appears, to Page; and he is now at Saratoga, where he will remain about two months Anyhoould personally advise you--if you think --to devote your literary iious subjects By a certain class of sermons and addresses you can achieve in a few years much more success than the slow uphill work of professional journalis you in a whole decade With leisure and popularity you could then achieve such literary work as you could not think of atte independent of journalisreater talent,--such as Bayard Taylor

Believe me, as ever, yours, L HEARN

TO REV WAYLAND D BALL

NEW ORLEANS, June, 1883

MY DEAR FRIEND,--You have been very kind indeed to give me so pleasant an introduction to your personality;--I already feel as if ere more intiraph is generally a surprise;--in your case it was not;--you are very much as I fancied you were--only more so

I read with pleasure your article The introduction was especially powerful I must noever, tell you frankly what I think would be most to your interest When I wrote before I had no definite idea as to the scope or plan of your essay, nor did I know the _Inter-Ocean_ desired it Now I think it your duty to give the next article to that paper,--as the first is incomplete without it It does not contain more than the parallel However, the publication of your writing in the _Inter-Ocean_, even though unreood than would the publication in our paper at a se; and you must be advertised