Had a wonderful week at Taos, with good horses to ride and good cantaloupes to eat. W. S. C. [Stout #320]
Good work on the publicity booklet and poster. Thanks for the advance copy. Likes the cover, jacket, and type. Has excellent photos of Mesa Verde provided by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, also of Taos and the pueblos near Santa Fe. Would he still like to have a book about the Southwest? Might be able to travel for free on Santa Fe next summer to gather additional material. Unfortunately, has gained six pounds while climbing and riding. Edith lost weight. W. S. C. [Stout #322]
Excited about her play [The Magical City opened at the Bandbox Theater in mid-March 1916]. Sets wonderful, characters wonderful. Poet character a true ass. Shows what a clear sense of theater she has. Sorry for the poor handwriting, but is in bed with grippe. Hoping to sail for Italy in early June unless submarines get too active. W. S. C. [Stout #352]
Paul Reynolds sold the clumsy story she told him about for $600. Is on her way to Taos. Hopes he will remember she still wants to do a book about the Southwest and will not commit to anyone else for one. W. S. C. [Stout #359]
Has received the $540 check for "The Diamond Mine." Hopes to have some new material for him in the fall. Willa Sibert Cather [Stout #360]
The Columbian Hotel in this wonderful place is pink adobe, the owner a dark Mexicana. Enjoys taking horseback rides and stopping at people's houses. Sorry she didn't invite him another day and arrange for him to bring his friends, but reached the point where she had to leave. Hopes he will visit in the fall. Has taken Paul Reynolds as agent, and he has sold a story she would never have tried to place with a magazine. Willa Cather [Stout #361]
Sending a photo of herself. Willa Sibert Cather [Stout #362]
Came up to Wyoming from New Mexico two weeks ago. Hard to advise her where to go in the West. Taos probably the best. Will be off to Red Cloud in about two weeks. Hasn't done any writing. Has sold the Nordica story to McClure's for a good price. W. [Stout #363]
Isabelle's marriage still hard to accept, but the world looks brighter now. Is enjoying being with Roscoe and his wife in the mountains. Glad that Elsie is working well on her book. Will be in Red Cloud by the end of August. Recommends she go to Taos, though there is a good dude ranch near here in Wyoming. [Stout #364]
Just reached Red Cloud after a summer in New Mexico and Wyoming. Enjoyed Roscoe and his family, especially the twins. Made a talk about The Bent Twig [Canfield Fisher's novel, 1915] to a bridge club. Interesting that they both used the same kind of treatment for such different material. Sympathizes with the character who fled moral restrictions. The mother reminds her of a stalwart woman who came to visit Fremstad when she was in Maine—such wisdom. They have different groups of readers in Lincoln. Dorothy's think Cather immoral, and her own think Dorothy boring. All of Dorothy's readers want to believe Thea didn't live with Fred out of wedlock. Willa [Stout #366]
