Of course you saw Agrippina on your way past Capri, the state of the weather notwithstanding, and I think you are justified in saying so. If anybody should question your veracity in this regard, refer him to me as eye witness of the event and I will function freely as such. There is more than one way of seeing things and other way is the better by far.
I am really very sorry to hear that you consider dropping the Magazine at the close of the year. No doubt you have good reasons for this. It seems too bad, not only because of the quality of the Magazine in general, but for the outlet it gives to you. I can see that your two interests might well conflict seriously.
I wish I could be encouraging in the matter of trying for a reveiwer's job with the Kansas City Journal-Post. Tom Collins, the Sunday Editor, has been officiating as critic there for several years and I know he is enjoying it and giving satisfaction. Having no literary background and no conception of the reasons for things, for that there are any reasons, he is admirably prepared for his work, and you could not hope to compete with him. I say this quite seriously and I like Tom Collins. He is a good chap. Furthermore, I doubt if Collins costs the Journal-Post anything in addition to his salary as Sunday Editor. Business is bad and I suspect a damn sight badder than is generally realized. Newspapers are not going to take on any expense they can dodge, for they are hit terrifically hard along with the trading class upon which they feed. You may be surprised to hear that the Post-Dispatch, one of the three best paying newspapers in the United States heretofore, has cut out all its luxuries, including McIntyre's column and mine. Your first feeling will be one of distress, but you should not feel so, for I do not. In fact I am glad for the chance to push ahead in the right direction, and unless the whole structure goes to pieces sooner than even I expect I believe I can actually "make more money" for a while if I am on the loose. The reason given by the Post, and personally by
Mr. Pulitzer, is that business conditions make the revival of the column now impossible. Pulitzer says he "regrets this exceedingly, but it cannot be helped," and adds "that if business should ever get better (notice the "ever"), he will be very glad indeed to re-establish the connection."
I begin January 1 on the MESSIAH and will push it along rapidly. In the meanwhile, the outlook for the Black Elk book is very bright indeed. Macmillans have written three letters, and after the third I wrote a letter making a complete statement of my position. I have had no reply as yet.
Jno.
