Volume II Part 43 (1/2)

(This letter goes to you in its first spontaneous form--so much the worse for ht to see my study-room It is not very pretty--a little japaneses (upstairs), and a table and chair Above the table there is the portrait of a young A now;--that is a very dear picture On the opposite wall is the shadow of a beautiful and wonderful person, whoe city of New Orleans (She was sixteen years old, or so, when I first erously ill, and that several people were afraid she would die in that quaint little hotel where she was then stopping) The two shadoatchoftheir syinals would not be able to give me so much of their company

The lady talks to me about a fire of ood, that used to burn with red and blue lights I relow, and talk to her; but I re else--only the sound of her voice,--low and clear and at times like a flute The Gods only knohat _I_ said; for hts in those times were seldom in the room,--but in the future, which was black, without stars But all that was long ago Since then I have becorey, and the father of three boys

The naval officer has been here again in the body, however Indeed, I expect hioes away to Cavite,--after which I shall probably never see hi about things

Whether I shall ever see the original of the other shadow, I do not know I must leave the Far East for a couple of years, in order to school a little son of es

Whether I take hiland or America, I do not yet know; but Aland Whether the lady of the many-coloured fires would care to let , sometime in the future, is another question

Two of the boys are all japanese,--sturdy and not likely to cause anxiety But the eldest is alether of another race,--with brown hair and eyes of the fairy-colour,--and a tendency to pronounce with a queer little Irish accent the words of old English poe; and Iafter him

I wish that I could make a book to please you more often than once a year (But I have so hts spoken in your letter have been put into the printer's hands--ghostly anticipation?--for a book which will probably appear next fall I cannot now judge whether it will please you--but there are reveries in it, and sundry queer stories

I think that you once asked me for a portrait of my boy I send one--but he is now older than his portrait by some two years I shall send a better one later on, if you wish I should like to interest you in hi ination all the Sibyls, and your wisdos precious fro of _me_ lives in that collie you describe: I think that I can understand exactly what she feels when the Invisible gathers about,--that is what she feels in regard to her hostly, anyhow: her ancestors must have sat at the feet of Thoet e They were chased by the police; but they ”ood their escape” She left behind her three weird little white puppies We fed the attached to birds and dogs and cats and other lovable creatures: they die before us, and they have so many sorrohich we cannot protect thes, must have been very unhappy to see their pets wither and perish in a little space

Good-bye for the moment It was so kind to write me

LAFCADIO HEARN

TO MASAnobU OTANI

TOKYO, January, 1900

MY DEAR OTANI,--I suppose that, when you ask me to express my ”approval”

or non-approval of a society for the study of literature, etc, you want a sincere opinion My sincere opinion will not please you, I fear, but you shall have it

There is now in japan a anizations of every description Societies are being formed by hundreds, with all kinds of avowed objects, and dissolved as fast as they are made It is a madness that will pass--likeincomparable mischief The avowed objects of these societies is to do so useful; the real object is si The knowledge of the value of time has not yet even been dreamed of in this country

The study of literature or art is never accompanied by societies of this kind The study of literature and of art requires and depends upon individual effort, and original thinking The great japanese rote famous books and painted famous pictures did not need societies to help theood literary work can coanization is essentially opposed to individual effort, to original effort, to original thinking, to original feeling A society for the study of literature anized so as to render the study of literature, or the production of literature, absolutely impossible

A literary society is a proof of weakness--not a co worker and thinker works and thinks by himself He does not want help or syreat work ever cainal work

A literary society, for the purpose of studying literature, is utterly useless The library is a better place for the study of literature The best of all places is the solitude of one's own rooanized for the translation and publication of the whole of Shakespeare's plays,--for exainal work, nor even literary study in the highest sense

Even in thea dictionary, no society, however, can equal the work of the solitary scholar The whole French Academy could not produce a dictionary such as Littre produced by himself

I have said that I think these japanese societiesscholars who go froher study They are trained by the most learned professors in the world,--they are prepared in every way to becoinal thinkers, literary producers And when they return to japan, instead of being encouraged to work, they are asked to waste their tiazines, to deliver addresses, to give lectures free of charge, to correct ined to prevent the; they are not allowed to do anything; their learning and their lives are hts, but like machines to be used, and brutally used, and worn out as soon as possible

While this rage for wasting tioes on there will be no new japanese literature, no new draood of any kind Production will be n ideas Theof work, the sacredness of literature are unknown to this generation