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#0529: Willa Cather to Ferris Greenslet, January 21 [1921]

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FG NUMBER FIVE BANK STREET3 Dear Mr. Greenslet1;

I remain your everlasting debtor for the nice letter4 you wrote me a week ago. I often tell Mr. McClure5 that he and I never began to be the best possible friends until our business relations were over. I already begin to feel that poor Mr. Knopf6 is the day's work and you are the vacation. Knopf, by the way, seems willing to print the name of my other publishers in the list of books facing the title page as you suggest. I have just had a statement from him of the sales of the "Bright Medusa"7 up to December 31st; 3385 copies sold up to that date, and my royalty amounts to eleven hundred a and eighty some dollars. Surely, that's very good indeed for a book of unrelated short stories, half of which were taken from an old book8. I am sure he will always try to push the books you publish as well as the new one.

The Hambourg Trio9 has been here for ten days, giving concerts, and I have been terribly rushed. Drop me a line to let me know when you are going to be in town2, and tell me when I can telephone you. No, I have no telephone: I am going to have a rubber stamp made of that phrase! But I want to see you when you are here, without fail, and this time we won't have any troubles to discuss. I wonder if you can manage to send me my March check before you go?

NUMBER FIVE BANK STREET

I seem to be needing a great deal of money this winter. When you come I'll tell you how I was kidnapped about two weeks ago,– if Elsie Sergeant10 doesn't see you and tell you first.

Faithfully yours W. S. C.