When your letter came, the typed MS of the part of the "Wars" that I mentioned was with a friend up North. Since then I've been trying to make myself believe that I ought to send it to you; but it seems to me I shouldn't print any of the poem till it is all ready. The extract would probably seem complete enough in itself to the reader who has no idea of the scheme of the whole poem. But to me, architecture is practically everything, and I want to show the complete building when I get it ready. Ten thousand writers are content to do the fragmentary thing; let them have their day.
I'm really sorry that I can't show my friendship for you in a practical way in this instance. I've been failing you of late; and my failures don't represent my attitude towards you, I can assure you.
I had the Masefield article typed + in an envelope ready to send to you, but couldn't send it. Of course I couldn't done Masefield any harm! That wasn't the idea. I didn't want to seem to be attacking a man whom I admire so much. It was for my sake that I didn't send the article.
Jno. G. Neihardt
