Volume II Part 40 (2/2)
Well, I think that commodore, or whatever his title may have been, a better man out and out than Cyrano He would have done just as much, and made no fuss at all about it Affectionately,
LAFCADIO
TO MRS FENOLLOSA
APRIL, 1899
DEAR MRS FENOLLOSA,--To say that you have sent me the most beautiful letter that I ever received--certainly the one thatat all! Of course I hope to see more of the soul that could utter such a letter,--every word a blossorant like the lovely flower to which the letter was tied
And yet--strange as it ood_ for a writer to get such a letter;--he ought to be severely maintained rather in a state of perpetual self-dissatisfaction You would spoil him! Nevertheless, how pleasant to know that there is somebody to whom I can send a book hereafter with a tolerable certainty of pleasing! I shall not even try to thank you any more now; and I shall not dare to _re_read your letter for at least a month But I hope that my next publication--which is all neill not have a less welcome in your heart
Ever with kindliest syratitude for the delicious letter and the delicious flower,
LAFCADIO HEARN
TO MITChell McDONALD
TOKYO, May, 1899
DEAR MITChell,--I areat silk house, or rather dry-goods house, in Tokyo; but a word in addition If you and the consul are not afraid of taking cold by walking about in stocking-feet awhile, I strongly advise you to visit also the japanese show-roooods, esto real art principles You will find theine, than the displays ners Even the _towels_ and the _yukata_ stuffs ought to te purchase or two in spite of yourselves; but nobody will grumble even if you do not buy at all It is just like a bazaar, you need only go upstairs and walk through, frohted with the little book which good Consul Bedloe so kindly gave me--I read it in the train Please thank him with the best thanks in your capacity (which is practically unlimited) for the picture: it will be always a souvenir for htful days that I passed in Yokohama If you think he would care for the enclosed shadow of this old owl, please kindly give it hiing the rare pleasure which his ood fellowshi+p and his ini about hi as if I had h that would not do to say, you know, upon such short acquaintance, to him I only want to tell _you_ just how the experience affected me
I shall not thank you for s that you ”so beautifully _did_” But I felt as if the sky had becoreen than could really be the case You knohat that ain, LAFCADIO
TO MITChell McDONALD
TOKYO, May, 1899
DEAR MITChell,--I ainary conversations with you fro to wonderful stories frohtful phantom-consul In other words, the itoo ypt But in spite of thesefair work,--and have in hand a ghost-story of a new and pathetically penetrating kind
Speaking of ghosts, the design for the cover is to be plurey-blue sky Can't say this is appropriate--the plu the olden lake,--ain rainy darkness,--would be better But so long as I am not consulted, exact appropriateness cannot be expected; besides, it would be lost upon the public
I've been thinking over all your plans and hopes forto blast the at all, until the day when I make a hit onFor the interval, I must be very careful not to seem anxious to want attention of any sort, and do better work than I ever did before You will only be able to findof that sort,--and to talk nicely about rateful, ards to Dr
Bedloe I thinkto put on paper just now
Affectionately, LAFCADIO
[Illustration: Beauties of the landscape--scenery between Tokyo and Yokohama]
TO MRS FENOLLOSA