J. Howard Moore to Henry S Salt, October 02, 1908
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My Dear Mr. Salt —
I am going to write to you right now in answer to your nice letter just at hand; for I find when I put such things off I am likely to [ ?] the matter. But I shall have to use this perforated paper. I did not discover that my supply of letter paper was exhausted until after I had decided to write you.
Well, now I know what you mean when you tell me that circumstances have been driving you from your pretty cottage home, I am sorry indeed that you have had to suffer these changes. But if they eventuate in your going to live in the beautiful Lake Country, maybe it won't be so bad after all.
[Text at top of page, written upside down ]
You can write to me often now — for the postage is only 2 cents.
I am going to write to you right now in answer to your nice letter just at hand; for I find when I put such things off I am likely to [ ?] the matter. But I shall have to use this perforated paper. I did not discover that my supply of letter paper was exhausted until after I had decided to write you.
Well, now I know what you mean when you tell me that circumstances have been driving you from your pretty cottage home, I am sorry indeed that you have had to suffer these changes. But if they eventuate in your going to live in the beautiful Lake Country, maybe it won't be so bad after all.
[Text at top of page, written upside down ]
You can write to me often now — for the postage is only 2 cents.
You ought to live among the earth's highlands somewhere. One whose soul is so exalted as yours & so touched with poetry should live close to the sky.
O, yes, my brother, i should be much pleased to receive a copy of your book on James Thomson. I am always glad to read anything that flows from your unusual pen. "Sad & wonderful" — how attractive those words. I ma always interested in any being or thing that is sad & wonderful.
I fear I cannot help you much in suggesting a publisher for your Life of Thoreau over here — if you think the regular publishers would not do. Charles H. Kerr & Co. of Chicago publish my B-IO, Philosophy, & Universal Kinship. But they are a socialist publishing house,
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& print nothing except socialist & social Science books. They do not publish any new ethics, because it is not in their line. Don't you think firms like MacMillans might take up your Thoreau? Or some of the Boston houses? It seems anomalous that the best book ever written on this great American should not be printed in this country. I would do anything you might suggest in furthering an American Edition of you work. Don't you suppose Dr. Emerson might be interested in the matter? He would probably be well acquainted with things at Boston.
I am not doing much in a literary way. Writing is so unnatural & hard for me that I
& print nothing except socialist & social Science books. They do not publish any new ethics, because it is not in their line. Don't you think firms like MacMillans might take up your Thoreau? Or some of the Boston houses? It seems anomalous that the best book ever written on this great American should not be printed in this country. I would do anything you might suggest in furthering an American Edition of you work. Don't you suppose Dr. Emerson might be interested in the matter? He would probably be well acquainted with things at Boston.
I am not doing much in a literary way. Writing is so unnatural & hard for me that I
have a good deal of difficulty in getting myself to undergo the hardship. It's a good deal like "sweating blood" for me. And unless I am driven by terrible feelings on conviction, I am inclined to go on & do nothing. I hate writing. It is the greatest hardship of my life. It occurs to me I might be reasonably happy if I weren't everlastingly nagged by the obligation to
Chicago Oct 2, 1908
J. Howard moore