TŌKYŌ, November, 1898.
DEAR MRS. FENOLLOSA,--I see that my little word "sympathy"--used, of
course, in the fine French sense of fellow-feeling in matters _not_ of
the common--was as true as I could wish it....
_I_ am the one now to give thanks,--and very earnest thanks; for I
confess that I felt a little nervous about your opinion. Independently
of the personal quality which makes it so precious for me, I believe
that it must represent, in a general way, the opinion of a number of
cultured ladies whom I never have seen, and never shall see, but who
are much more important as critics than any editors,--for they _make_
opinion, not in newspapers or magazines, but in social circles. And I
was a little bit afraid of my new venture in "Retrospectives." I picked
out the little piece sent you, because it had a Japanese subject as a
hanging-peg,--so that I thought you and the professor would feel more
inclined to take the trouble of reading it....
Well, you are one of my Rewards in this world: I don't know that I
can expect any better return than your letter for a year's work on a
book,--and I certainly do not want anything better. In this particular
case too, with a new venture, encouragement is positively a benefit as
well as a pleasure. In other cases, it might make me too well satisfied
with my work, and tempt me to be careless, or at least less careful....
I see Mr. Edwards has gone; and I am sorry to think that I may never see
him again,--for he is in every way a man and a gentleman. Probably we
shall have a book from him some day; and it will not be a common book,
for that man is incapable of the _common_: he will think hard, work
solidly, and put his own square-set Oxford self into every thought. It
will certainly be interesting.
My best thanks for that volume of Watson.... I have a very strong liking
for Watson; and there are bits in that book of delightful worth. I shall
venture to impose on your good nature by keeping it just a "weeny" bit
longer,--to copy a verse or two.
I sprained my foot nearly two weeks ago, and after a week in bed and
bandages, managed to hobble around the university again, but I am now
all over the main trouble. Tōkyō roads are dangerous after dark
sometimes. The enforced homeing, however, did me good; for my next book
is almost ready for the publisher.
And now that you understand my wishes to try to do something new--at
least understand them well enough to write me so very pleasant a
letter,--I am sure you won't think me too selfish for being so rare a
visitor. I am like a setting hen,--afraid to leave my eggs till the
hatching is done and the shells are broken. With all best wishes and
thanks,
Very truly yours,
LAFCADIO HEARN.