Volume I Part 27 (1/2)

Several new volus to send you--ree to return in one month fros--made me feel sorry I expressed thehtful Mexican friend living with , soft, languid South American Creole accent that is so much more pleasant than the harsher accent of Spain His name is Jose de Jesus y Preciado, and he sends you his best wishes, because he says all my friends must be his friends too

Now, I hope you'll write ly, but really nice,--you knohat I hly suspicious friend,

LAFCADIO HEARN

TO H E KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, January, 1885

DEAR FRIEND KREHBIEL,--Many,an interval of rest,--so that I can answer it right away

I have not been at all worried by your silence,--as your foriven my involuntary injustice and ive this last the French accent, which takes off the edge of the word)

In a few days my Creole Dictionary will be published in New York; and I will not forget to send you a copy, just as soon as I can get so on the publication It is a give-away to a friend, ill not forget me if he makes money, but who does not expect tois never lucrative; and the publication of the book is justified only by Exposition projects As for the ”Stray Leaves” I have never written to the publishers yet about them,--so afraid of bad news I have been But I have dared to try and get a good word said for it in high places I succeeded in obtaining a personal letter froet one from Edwin Arnold This is cheeky; but publishers think so ed authority in Oriental studies

The prices are high; the markets are all ”bulled;” and for the first time I find my room rent here (twenty dollars per ant way of life Money is a subject I a except--art I still think nobody should follow an art purpose with ing in this way,--that the lack of public notice is generally son Happily, however, I have joined a building association, which compels , I save nothing,--except queer books imported from all parts of the world

Very affectionately yours,

HEARN

TO H E KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, January, 1885

MY DEAR KREHBIEL,--I fear I know nothing about Creole roes Yes, I have seen the a purely African song to the accooods box beaten with sticks or bones and a dru a skin over a flour-barrel That sort of accompaniment and that sort of music, you know all about: it is precisely similar to what a score of travellers have described There are no harmonies--only a furious contretemps As for the dance,--in which the woround,--it is as lascivious as is possible Thein the air I spoke of this spectacle in my short article in the _Century_

One must visit the Creole parishes to discover the characteristics of the real Creole music, I suspect I would refer the _Century_ to Harris's book: he says the Southern darkies don't use the banjo I have never seen any play it here but Virginians or ”upper country” darkies

The slave-songs you refer to are infinitely ot; but still, I fancy hisreally pretty Gottschalk found the theme for his Bamboula in Louisiana--_Quand patate est chinte_, etc, and made a miracle out of it

Now if you want any further detailed account of the Congo dance, I can send it; but I doubt whether you need it The Creole songs, which I have heard sung in the city, are Frenchy in construction, but possess a few African characteristics of er the more marked the oddities of intonation Unfortunately most of those I have heard were quadroons or ot Cable to write--but I could not sing it as she sang it, so that the music is faulty I suppose you have seen it already, as it forms part of the collection If the _Century_ people have any sense they would send you down here for so to study up the old ballads; and I believe that if you e to show Cable the ie it

You answered soly Don't be too sarcastic about my capacity for study My study is of an hu, and never shall, about acoustics But I have had to study awful hard in order to get a vague general idea of those sciences which can be studied without mathematics, or actual experimentation with mechanical apparatus I have half a mind to study medicine in practical earnest so Doctor in the Country of Cowboys? A doctorseriously about it

This is the best letter I can write for the present, and I know it's not a good one I send a curiosity by Xp to you

The Creole slaves sang usually with clapping of hands But it would take an old planter to give reliable infor the accompaniment

Yours very truly, L HEARN

TO H E KREHBIEL

NEW ORLEANS, 1885