Volume I Part 21 (2/2)

said I, ”it hath a ist ainterest Verily, I would rather listen to it, than hear a syh fury; and nowhe speaketh to me no more!

Yours very thankfully, L HEARN

[Illustration]

TO HE KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, 1883

MY DEAR KREHBIEL,--There is nothing in azine-work in the way of profit; for the cent-a-word pay does not really recoazines introduce one to publishers, and publishers select azine-work is the introduction to book-work; and book-work pays doubly--in money and reputation I hope to climb up slowly this way--it takes time, but offers a sure issue You could do so ues ”Villoteau--_Meypte_--Paris: Maisonneuve & Cie, 1883 (15 fr)” Wonder if you have the work in any of your public libraries If you have not, and you would like to get it, I can obtain it from Paris duty-free next tireat number of curious books

You must have noticed in the papers the real or pretended discovery of an ancient Egyptianand descending the et to see it

I have been thinking that wecollection of end followed by a specimen-melody, with learned dissertation by H Edward Krehbiel But that will be for the days e shall be ”well-known and highly esteeular folk-lore

Meanwhile ”Blal” has been finished I wrote to _Harper's Magazine_;--the article was returned with a very co it war offered to the _Atlantic_, as he did not knohen he could ”find room for it” Find room for it! Ah, bah! I am sorry: because I had written him about your share in it, and hoped, if successful, it would teazine I used your Koran-fragment in the form of a musical footnote

I notice you called it a ”brick” Are you sure this is the correct word?

Each _sura_ (or chapter) indeed signifies a ”course of bricks in a wall;” but also signifies ”a rank of soldiers”--and the verses, which were never nuular that the poetry of the term ”brick” could scarcely apply to thehted with your delight, as expressed in your beautiful letter upon the Hebrew ceremonial Hebrew literature has been my hobby for some time past: I have Hershon's ”Talmudic Miscellany;” Stauben's ”Scenes de la Vie Juive” (full of delicious traditions); Kompert's ”Studies of Jewish Life,” which you have no doubt read in the original Ger of the Jerusaleether with the Babylonian Berachoth), 5 vols I confess the latter is, as a whole, unreadable; but the legends in it are without parallel in weirdness and singularity Such iven new luminosity to my ideas of the antique Hebrew life; and enabled loohtmarish darkness of the Pentateuch I like to associate Hebrew ceremonies rather with the wonderful Tale primitiveness of the years of Exodus and Deuteronos about ant as that story about the conch-shell blown at the birth of Buddha--”where of the sound _rolled on unceasingly for four years_!” The swarthy fishermen of our swa; and whenever I hear them I think of that monstrous conch-shell told of in the Nidanakatha

As I write it see the paper, the most Dantesque silhouette of one alked with ht, and hohostly fancies and phantoht-forces have been scattered! But is it not pleasant to observe that the her toward the supreme hope? Perhaps we endary word hath it--”lightning ever cometh” Remember me very warmly to my old comrade Tunison

But I think it more probable I shall see you here than that you shall see ination--perhaps because I have been drawingcyclopean without solerotesqueness,--preadaher than the aqueducts of the Ros When I think of it, I feel s,--and the gnats,--and the invisible plagues lurking in visible vapours,--and the ancientness,--and the vast languor of the land Even our vegetation here, funereally drooping in the great heat, sees--to mourn for the death of Pan After a few years here the spirit of the land has entered into you,--and the languor of the place ehts coishly as shapes of sreat horror of work and activity and noise and bustle roots itself within your soul,--I mean brain Soul = Cerebral Activity = Soul

I am afraid you have read the poorest of Cable's short stories ”Jean-ah Poquelin,” ”Belles-Demoiselles,” arevery singular to me in Cable's power It is not a superior style; it is not a minutely finished description--for it will often endure no close examination at all: nevertheless his stories have a puissant charm which is hard to analyze His serial novel--”The Grandissimes”--is not equal to the others; but I think the latter portion of ”Dr Sevier” will surprise many He did me the honour to read nearly the whole book to et a chance

Baker often talks witha fine thing here Perhaps you will be the reverse of flattered by this bit of news; but the proprietors here think they can er paper than it is, and rival the Eastern dailies For my part I hope they will do it; but they lack systeood men are not easily tempted to cast their fortunes here at present It will be otherwise in ti into a metropolis,--a world's market for merchants of all nations,--and will be made healthier and more beautiful year by year

Good-bye for the present

Your very sincere friend, L HEARN

TO W D O'CONNOR

NEW ORLEANS, 1883

MY DEAR O'CONNOR,--I felt the sa your letter that I have often experienced on cohtful novelette: I wanted more,--and yet I had come to the end! Your letters are all treasured up;--they are treats, and one atones for years of silence My dear friend, you must never trouble yourself to write when you feel either tired or disinclined: when I think I have the power to interest you, I will always take advantage of it, without expecting you to write

I knohat routine is, and eariness is; and soe for a still more pleasant intimacy

Your preference for Boutimar pleases end in the collection--Esther--so it in pathos

Your observation aboutI cannot accept; for in positive acquire queer books and following odd subjects I have been able to givemore than I do; but none of my ould bear the scrutiny of a specialist; I would like, however, to show you my library

It costthat I have nothing reseenius, and that any ordinary talent must be supplemented with some sort of curious study in order to place it above theto woo the Muse of the Odd, and hope to succeed in thus attracting so inal work--a very tiny voluo at the skirts of the Gulf

I a our Lascar and Chinese colonies, and the Prehistoric in the characteristics of strange European settlers