Volume I Part 32 (2/2)

After all, the reward for him who strives to express beauty or truth, for its own sake, is just such a letter as yours; for his ai_ in another which the Christian calls Soul,--the Pantheist, God,--the philosopher, the Unknowable

Your wish as to the application to modern themes of the same literary methods is about to be accomplished I do not kno the ill be received by the public, nor can I tell just when it will appear; but I _think_ soon, and in _Harper's Magazine_ (entre nous!) If it appears subsequently (or iratefulness by sending you a copy

Believe me, very sincerely, LAFCADIO HEARN

TO GEORGE M GOULD

NEW ORLEANS, April, 1887

DEAR MR GOULD,--You could not have doneme your pamphlet on the ”Colour-Sense” I ah a disciple of Spencer as it is possible for one not a practical scientist to be; and such studies, combined with art and poetry, hich they serve in my case to stiht I like your criticisical aesthetics,” as well as in ”Common-Sense in Science”

and various other voluences from the perfectly sinative thickets, lost hiroves Still he is, as you observe, estive, skilled in giving a char homeliness and familiarity to new truths vast as the sky

The pah; and I fear soer conclusions and elucidations impress rasp of it will more than please and surprise

My novelette is complete and in a publisher's hands When you read the first part, whether in the _Magazine_ or in book for the aesthetic Symbolisarding the holiness of the sky-colour,--the divinity of Blue Blue is the World-Soul

With grateful regards, LAFCADIO HEARN

TO GEORGE M GOULD

NEW ORLEANS, 1887

DEAR MR GOULD,--Reading your letter, I was strongly ie, even chirography, with the letters of a very dear friend, alh probably less ical rese, but already somewhat eminent here;--he has been demonstrator of anatomy for some years at our University, and will ultireat name in American medicine But he is a Spaniard,--Rodolfo Matas I first felt really curious about hi visited him to obtain some material for a fantastic anatoood inforreat Arabian physicians When he ran off a long string of na his work, I was considerably surprised; and even felt a little skeptical until I got hold of Leclerc and Sprengel and found the facts there as given to me by word of mouth I trust you will meet him some day, and find in him an ideal _confrere_, which I aular fact that most of my tried friends have been physicians

You asked me about Gautier I have read and possess nearly all his works; and before I was reallyI translated his six most remarkable short stories: (”Une Nuit de Cleopatre;” ”La Morte Amoureuse;” ”Arria Marcella;” ”Le Pied de Momie;”

”Le Roi Candaule;” and ”Oton under the title of the opening story,--”One of Cleopatra's Nights” The work contains, I regret to say, several shocking errors; and the publisher refused ht to correct the plates The book remains one of the sins of ement of the value of the stories was correct, and if ever able I shall try to get out a new and correct edition Of Sainte-Beuve I have read very little--found hirey Most of the Romantic school I have If you like Gautier, how much more would you like the work of Julien Viaud (Pierre Loti) We know each other by letter Read ”Le Roman d'un Spahi”

first; I think it will astonish you Then ”Le Mariage de Loti;” then ”Fleurs d'Ennui” All his work, which has already won, even for so young a hest encomium of the Acaderey skies, fogs and ice, causes me to find less pleasure in ”Mon Frere Yves,” and ”Pecheur d'Islande,” though there are superb tropical pages scattered through the latter

I send you a little Arabian story, which I wrote for _Harper's Bazar_ last winter, and which I will reproduce some day in another shape, if I live to coend

You will be glad to hear azine_ So that I may ultimately hope to be able to leave journalish dereeable experiences,--experiences which often result in absolute nervous prostration caused wholly by annoyance You can is only in the intervals of a long succession of petty troubles Such troubles would be absurd to most minds, but to me they are horribly serious: I have a badly-balanced nervous o away to hunt up soivento try to make a sketch for thereatly impressed by the plan and purpose and admirable instructive excellence of that optic model you sent me the circular of In fact, I feel very small when I coe as yours

Still I have the power to give you pleasure, which is quite a consolation

Believe me very truly, your friend,

LAFCADIO HEARN

PS Are you inclined to believe in a further evolution of the colour-sense? Spencer, in vol II ”Biology,” is rather conservative as to the further prospects of _physical evolution_, although I suppose further ress in the nervous system

TO GEORGE M GOULD