Volume II Part 34 (1/2)
TO MITChell McDONALD
TOKYO, April, 1898
DEAR FRIEND,--The holidays are over; and the winter is still dying hard
We are all feeling pretty well noithstanding,--and my i to get a glis Because he had a naval unifor to lift him up to look over the heads of the people The K wisely answered: ”I know you are a man--but then you must think that I am a horse only, and ride on my back Even military men ride horses, you know!” Subsequently, the imp had to subot on the h: it was the first flash of the man-spirit in hi! That is what the weather made me for a time Glimpses of sun now seem quite delicious
Well, it is the same ith my Yokohama friend If I saw him too often, I should not feel quite so warin to think the light a normal and usual, instead of a , however, that I hope to live to see: M McD in a private residence of his own, and a beautiful young Mrs McD therein
If the quarrel with Spain does nothing else, perhaps it will stir up the Aood-sized navy in short order With sodisadvantage compared with etting out a new book on the subject, just at the right time What a lucky author he has been on the whole; and all circumstances seem to have actually bent theards to the doctor and all friends,
LAFCADIO
TO MITChell McDONALD
TOKYO, April, 1898
DEAR McDONALD,--Just after having posted ether with the raphs My warmest thanks, not only for them, but also for the friend's inscription upon them, which adds to their preciousness But--see how mean I am!--I hope for _at least_ one more,--the one with the full-dress hat _on_ You don't like it; but I just love it, and I hope you will save one forto put the large one in a frame
Shall I climb Fuji? Perhaps; but I know that at this blessed moment I could not do it I am too soft now Must harden up first in the sea; and then, please the Gods, I'll climb with you The climb is simply horrid; but the view is a compensation
I don't knohat to do with you--after that ree in the next three years to write so very extraordinary indeed, I fear you will be horribly disappointed some day You should try to consider me as a _tenth-rate_ author, until the literary world shall have fixed ine me modest in literary matters I am Satanically proud--not modest at all If I tell you that much of my work is very bad, I tell you so, not because I am modest, but because, as a professional writer, I can see bad execution where you would not see it unless I pointed it out to you It is like an honest carpenter, who knows his trade, and will tell his custo to cost you much, because the work is bad See! this is backed with cheap wood underneath! It looks all right only because you don't knoe patch up these things”
Ever most affectionately, LAFCADIO HEARN
TO MITChell McDONALD
TOKYO, April, 1898
DEAR McDONALD,--Your letter ca (Sunday), and it rejoicedallowed to attend the Asiatic side of the sest, before you could joinon the other side, the serious part of the can would be over That torpedo squadron at Porto Rico is apparently stronger than any force of the sah Northern seaht, , even without anything more than mere pluck behind it But just think how a literary narrative of a battle would sell in America!
Wouldn't L B & Co make money!
How kind of you to send photo of Amenomori! (Yes; you returned the little one) This will not fade, and is a decided improvement I need scarcely tell you that out of a million japanese heads, you could not find another like this It represents the crea hurriedly the other day, I forgot to answer your question about the _Athenaeum_ paper Yes: the notice was hostile,--but not directly so; for a literary work the book was highly praised The critic si that what I wrote about existed I was braced with a missionary, and while the missionary's book was accepted as unquestionable fact, mine was pronounced a volume from Laputa The _Saturday Review_ knew better than that
As to the royalties given to Kipling, they are fancy rates, of course, and probably never twice the sa even a liht in all cases; but they do not often print the first edition Jas Lane Allen probably gets only ten per cent He et more; but notin theprobably outsells both together Jaical analogist of the most complex society--ever to becoood terland or Aeneralsuccess--that is, a sale of 20,000 copies of a book within a year and a half, suppose--he can get fancy terms for his next book
As to when I shall have another MS I don't know To-day, I aht not to burn some MS My work has lately been a little horrible, a littledepends upon exterior influence,--inspiration; and Toky=[o] is the very worst place in all japan for that Perhaps within a year from now, I shall have a new book ready; perhaps in six estions froht to have a new book ready by next spring
But there is just one possibility In case that during this year, or any year, there should co hoping to write,--a single short powerful philosophical story, of the most e else for the ti, and write it If I can ever write _that_, there will beafter I have been planted in one of these old Buddhist cemeteries I do not mean that it will pay _because_ I write it, but because it will touch soe, in the tendencies of the ti; and I feel within uely, like the sense of a perfu wind, which you cannot describe or define What divine luck such an inspiration would be! But the chances are that a more powerful hest peak most quickly takes the sun
Whatever comes, I'll just hand or send the MS to you, and say, ”Now just do whatever you please--only see that I get the proofs The book is yours”
Ever soelse