I can give you no title
that would not be a mockery. I write this—representing the rising generation to tell
you that from us you get what you long for Speechless passionate love I seem to see
now through all dark London young men issuing from houses with "Leaves of Grass" in
their hands & grandness & war written determinedly on their faces.—I dont know what to say to you—to give
you any notion of the good you have done me & again I think I speak for hundreds
of my age 21. I have read criticisms reviews of your
works loc.03698.002_large.jpg & as I
half expected none of them had the least idea who you were I believe we
will—perhaps when you have gone from us though I trust not be able to
vindicate your right to stand alone as the sun of this century & Goethe Kant,
Spencer Ruskin & the rest of the mighty will have to live as priceless beautiful
satellites, but yet as satellites. For months I have been bursting with things to
say to you but now I cannot say a word. In all criticisms upon you the most
delightful to me is Ruskins. The marvellous clear vision he has is wonderful &
his honesty is wonderful for the leader—in a minor
sense—of the opposite school. You dont like being called the leader of a
school—but you are if your teaching amounted to no more than— "You must find out for yourself"—If I might be
allowed
loc.03698.003_large.jpg to
criticize, I cant make out, why you have said nothing about children—Is not the
education of them one of if not the most important thought for the future. I do hope
you will yet be spared to say something about this or rather to put a tendency
towards children in your book.—I never read or criticize your Book from the standpoint
of what the words say, but go to it as I go to the bible in spirit & in truth.—& fish out for
myself tendencies which help in curious unexpected ways. Perhaps the most important
idea I have got from you in a way I never understood it before is Learn to love I write this chiefly to tell you that the
new generation admire you in a very different way from the last. What they
loc.03698.004_large.jpg may do years
hence I dont know—I have left to the end to ask you if it is true the awful
rumours going about that you are starving. The thing is too ghastly to be true—Millions & millions of money would never repay the work you have done for us
& especially for us young men. I am quite poor myself but could I know get money
for you easily if you are in the least want of it. I think I know you well enough to
know that you will not mind saying you do want some money if you do. I can hardly
expect an answer to this if you do not,—as you must have all your time occupied but if
you can find time to write a line telling me how you are I shall be very grateful.
Correspondent:
As yet we have no information about
this correspondent.