Volume I Part 25 (2/2)

NEW ORLEANS, March, 1884

DEAR KREHBIEL,--I am sorry to be in such a hurry that I have to write a short letter; but Iout in public, and I have a vision of future greatness for you As for myself, I trust I shall in a few years h to be able to return some of your many kindnesses in a literary way Eventually we oal, if I can keep ood will announce the book about the 1st of April, but I am not sure It would hardly do to anticipate I send you his letter

The terton's Next time I hope I will be able to work _to order_ You can return letter when you are done with it, as it forms a part of my enormous collection of letters from publishers--(199 rejections to 1 acceptation)

I expect I shall have to postpone my visit until the book is out, as I must wait here to receive and correct proofs I have dedicated the book to Page Baker, as it was entirely through his efforts that I got a hearing froood The reader _had already rejected_ the MS when Baker's letter came

Froood luck (which is extremely improbable) I would make the Muezzin No 1 in a brief series of Arabesque studies, which would cost about two years' labour--at intervals I have several subjects in eous Moslem Saints, and a sketch of the mulatto and quadroon slave-poets of Arabia before Mahomet; ”The Ravens,” as they were called from their color;--also the story of the _Ye monnat_, or those who died of love But these are beautiful dreams in embryo!

Yours affectionately,

L HEARN

TO H E KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, March, 1884

Postal-card

It is related by Philostratus in his life of Apollonius of Tyana, that when Apollonius visited India, and asked the Brahic, the Brah, each tapping the earth with a staff, and singing a strange hy, even as ferher,--and undulated and was lost in great waves,--and elevated the singers unto the height of two cubits

TO H E KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, April, 1884

DEAR KREHBIEL,--I read your leader with no srueso of the man in the Vine Street saloon, however, interestedinterest That nificent speciipsy; for he had all the characteristics of that race, and _was not a regular circus-employee_,--only a professional rider, noith one company, noith another Did you see him when you were there? He was perhaps 6 feet 4; for his head nearly touched the top of the cell He had a very regular handsome face, with immense black eyes; and an Oriental sort of profile:--then he seemed slender, in spite of his iure A cynical devil, too I went to see him with the coroner, who showed him the piece of the dead ers, held it up to the light, handed it back to the coroner and observed; ”Christ!--_he must have had a d--d rotten skull_” He was ordered to leave toithin twenty-four hours as a dangerous character It is a pity such ar murderers and ruffians;--what superb troopers they would th as long as I live

I don't knohether I shall ever be living in that terrible ain to write or read by night; and hard work has becoh to secure a literary position on some monthly or weekly periodical where I could take it easy, perhaps Ithe hideous winters But I areatly troubled by the question, What shall I work for?--to what special purpose? Perhaps soood fortune may come when least expected

Noant to talk about our trip I think it better not to go now Page wantsone If I wait till it gets warm, I will be able to escape the feverish month; and if you should be in Cincinnati at the Festival, or elsewhere, I would meet you anyhow or anywhere you say Were I to leave now I could not do so later; and I as which I want to bring you so that we can analyze theether A month or so won't make much difference

Will write you soon Had to quit work for a few days on account of eye-trouble

Yours very truly, L HEARN

TO H E KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, May, 1884

DEAR KREHBIEL,--I have been so busy that I have not been able to answer your last They are sending ine this keeps me occupied in addition towritten for a newspaper--at least for an American newspaper--can be perfect My poor little book will show some journalistic weaknesses--will contain so else which will ht; but the consequences of hasty labour are perpetually beforethe fact that the collocation of theof Bayard Taylor's terrible observation about Aenerally true Still there _are_ some rite with extraordinary precision and correctness

I think you are one of them

What troubles my style especially is ornamentation An ornamental style ruities; and perfect ornamentation requires slow artistic work--except in the case of e, or worried hirow older