Volume II Part 45 (1/2)

I heard that in the Stanford University in California, there are so,--estio I wrote the letter of application, and--likestove ”Too idyllic,”--I thought to myself,--”in the present state of evolution, no human institution could be suffered to realize the ideals of that university!” If I rong or right--I should like to know

But sufficient for this writing is the perfect selfishness thereof My dear fairy God-sister, please do not take any painful trouble forwith yourthe next year or so, I shall be so glad! Even though I be not glad, I shall always be grateful for the last kind letter

My best wishes to you in everything that you can iine, you will be always sure of ”If wishes”--but, after all, there _is_ some human sweetness in these conventional phrases They help one to utter a iven

LAFCADIO HEARN

[Illustration]

TO YRJo HIRN

YAIDZU, August, 1902

DEAR PROFESSOR,--Your kind letter of July 20th is with lad to hear that you are not likely to be obliged to leave Europe It is perhaps the greatest possible ed to withdraw froher mental life is still imperfectly understood There are certain coer freedom, and release from useless conventions, but these do not fully make up for the sterility of that Aht refuse to grow I ahted to think of your prospective pleasure in the Italian paradise

I ae of Yaidzu--where there are no tables or chairs

Bellesort's book is a surprisingly good book in its way It describes _only_ the disintegration of japanese society--under the contact of Western ideas--the social putrefaction, the _degringolade_ of things As a book dealing with this single unpleasant phase of japanese existence, it is a very powerful book; and there are soave Bellesort the story of the little boy who co a cake,--and he ood use of it I don't think that he is able to see the beautiful out of conventional limits; and he mostly confines hi I am inclined to believe that his sympathies are clerical--that he presents Brunetiere and the Jesuit side of things

However, his book is the best thing of its kind yet produced--the critical kind It requires a special nervous structure, like that of Pierre Loti, to see the strange beauty of japan Letbook of the American, Percival Lowell,--”The Soul of the Far East” It is strange that Lowell should have written the very best book in the English language on the old japanese life and character, and the_astrono than any romance

LAFCADIO HEARN

TO ELLWOOD HENDRICK

TOKYO, September, 1902

MY DEAR HENDRICK,--I had to wait several days before answering your letter,--as I felt too th of tireat deal about raceless

All that you proposed, except two things, appear to eneral_ way, I a profitable with publishers, except at such serious cost to health and to literary reputation as would be utterly prohibitive What I have been able to do so far has been done mostly in dead opposition to publishers, and their advisers; and in the few cases where I tried to do what publishers wished I have made very serious mistakes

Editorial work on a monthly or weekly paper, with a sympathetic head, ould let ree to furnish at fixed intervals certain material, while free to use the over-tiood

Of course, the main trouble about any kind of newspaper work is that it kills all opportunity for original literary work--but I could afford the sacrifice

Certain branches of teaching admit of opportunity for literary work,--particularly those in which teaching rises to the dignity of the lecture

The lish literature for six years has been to convince lish literature, and never could learn very eneral history of English literature, without the use of notes or books; and I have been able to lecture upon the leading poets and prose-writers of the later periods But I have not the scholarshi+p needed for the development and exercise of the critical faculty, in the proper sense of the tere of the relation of English literature to other European literature is lilish romantic and realistic periods

Under these circuht well ask how I could fill my chair

The fact is that I never made any false pretences, and never applied for the post I realized , and I taught literature as the expression of emotion and senti a poet I tried to explain the quality and the powers of the e altogether upon appeals to the iination and the eh the fact ination is so unlike our own)