KŌBE, November, 1895.
DEAR CHAMBERLAIN,--Your more than gracious flying visit, having set in
motion the machinery of converse, left me long continuing a phantom talk
with a phantom professor across a real table,--which I touched to make
sure.
Then my wife's delight with her Miyako-miyage, and the boy's with the
pictures, you can imagine,--though not perhaps my own feeling of mingled
pleasure and sorrow. Whatever you do is done so delicately and finely
that I fear I could show no appreciation of it in writing.
It was lucky that we had returned from Kyōto just so as to be here
for your visit. What pleased me most of all, perhaps, was your seeing
my boy. I have often thought if I can realize my dream of taking him
to Europe, which now seems quite possible, I might some day have the
pleasure of presenting him as a man.
You wanted a thinking book; and I must confess that is now my own want:
I care only for a novel when it illustrates some new philosophical idea,
or when it possesses such art that it can be studied for the art alone.
Perhaps Lombroso would interest (and revolt) you at the same time:
Nordau is only a new edition of Lombroso, I think--a journalistic one.
I detest his generalizations, so far as I know them through extracts:
all being false that I have seen. Progress depends on variation; and the
morale of Nordau would lead to, or accentuate, already existing Chinese
notions in the conventional world, that all departures from formality
and humbug are to be explained by degeneration. Without having read it,
I should judge the book a shallow one,--much at variance with Spencer's
views on eccentricity and its values. Of the Italian school, Mantegazza
most appeals to me, and would, I think to you--though he is sentimental
as Michelet in "L'Amour." ...
You think me too dissatisfied, don't you? It is true I am not satisfied,
and already unable to look at my former work. But the moment a man can
feel satisfied with himself, progress stops. He can only move along a
level afterwards; and I hope the level is still some years off. (I see
a possibility to strive for; but I am afraid even to speak of it--so
well out of reach it now is.) But what you will be glad to hear is that
my publishers are treating me well enough. I have up to September made
about 2000 yen (Japanese money), and prospects of making about 4000 in
1896. It is now largely a question of eyes.
I visited the grave of Yuko Hatakeyama last week at Kyōto,--and
saw all the touching relics of her, and of her suicide: also secured
copies of her letters, etc. A nice monument has been erected over her
resting-place by public subscription; and there was a little cup of tea
before the _sekito_ when I arrived.
Needless to say that I am asked to send messages which could only be
spoiled by putting them into English, and my wife is ashamed, or at
least shy, of writing what she would like to write if possessing more
self-confidence in matters epistolary. But you will understand without
more words.
Most gratefully,
LAFCADIO HEARN.