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#0115: Willa Cather to Harrison G. Dwight, July 20, 1906

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My dear Dwight1:

Mr. Reynolds3 has not yet sent over "The Valley of the Mills"4, but I am keeping my eye out for it.

You may be sure that I shall be glad to read "Mortmain"5 over again and that I shall enjoy telling you what I think of it in what you call my "usual candid fashion". I am sad that you are ironical, but what in the world is the use of talking about such things unless one is candid, and what in the world is the use of reading stories at all unless one has rather violent feelings about them one way or another?-- unless their merits and defects really please and pain one? That's not a very professional attitude, I dare say, and I probably shan't keep it very long,; but just personally, I always want to hang garlands on people or to put them to torture according as they manage or mismanage a possibility.

New York couldn't be much hotter. I don't think my friends in pleasant countries are availing themselves of their opportunities to pray for endurable weath- #2er here. If they did their petitions certainly ought to accomplish more for me.

Yours faithfully, Willa Sibert Cather Mr. H. G. Dwight, 116 Park Place, Canandagua, N.Y.6