Robertus Love, Lit. Ed. of the Post Dispatch, wrote me the other day asking for a picture to use with an article he planned to write on the WARS. I judge this was before he received your letter, though I don't know. I do hope he will let you do the job, for I believe he can't. Maybe he will let you. Here's hoping.
Things going finely. MESSIAH forging ahead slowly, but growing bigger. About fifty lines now, but a lot more crowding up. I think it will be my top rung. The reason for this is that the theme is exactly right for the stage of life I seem to have entered.
Some fine articles have appeared on the WARS, but the big ones are evidently holding off for extended reviews, since they have not put me off with here notices. The N.Y. Times gave me a lot of space lately. I haven't seen the thing, but Judge saw it, and he says they praised me a lot but got off key twice. You know the sort of thing, the judicial attitude introduced with an ominous "however". Nothing is funnier than that. But space - space - plenty of it; that's what counts. Outlook says that if I am not awarded a Pulitzer prize it will be a disgrace, or words to that effect. But that's foolish. Time has greater prizes to give.
And
The book seems to be selling.
Please give me the name of the publisher of that romantic biography of Magellan. You will remember I urged you to get it. I've lost the paper in which I saw it.
It looks now as though I'd probably be running a literary page by December. I had a "conference" with the Bee when I was last in Omaha. The News is going up the spout and will be absorbed by the Bee. Then the Herald and Bee will quit fighting, each hoping to God that Hearst won't come in and root them both out. As long as the News wobbles around, a Hearst invasion of Omaha is highly probably. All this and more was doped out to me, and the idea was that they wanted to do something dignified and all that. They don't think there has ever been a literary page in the Omaha territory, and of course they are right. They think I can give them one, and they're right again. If this works out, as it probably will, I'll have a good salary on half time, the other half to be given to the MESSIAH. I'd go out now and then to larger places. I don't mind that; rather like it. But damn the one night stands in the tank towns - thought that isn't generous either, considering that tank towns have been wonderfully good to me. But it seems as useless to take the punishment when so little good can be done. There are always chances at bigger places. Inquiries keep coming. Sometimes they want to "honor" me, which makes Long snarl. A national Greek letter Society wanted me for its annual conclave speaker lately, and the National Council of English Teachers wanted me at Chicago. Both proposed to honor me at my expense. Blessed savior! They don't know what I pay for the little wares I have to barter.
Golly, I wish we could walk these or your hills together now!
Jno
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