37. 1925:
Rapid City, Man. January 22, 1925
Dear Phelps,
Just received your letter, after having posted one of mine.
I am quite willing to bow to your better judgment of what
is suitable. I'll come prepared for all kinds of things.
As for postage, I have a very poor brother-in-law. When
I write him and wish to have an answer, I always enclose
a stamp. I shall ask the same from you when I reach that
stage, as I no doubt shall pretty soon. So don't worry about
postage. So far I still have it.
I am glad that on the whole you approve of the that draft
for my 'talk'. It is only a draft, thrown down in fifteen
minutes or so; though, of course, I knew pretty closely what
I wanted to say.
As for the novel, I agree with your dislike of italics.
The Trails of the Turn of the Year were full of them before
I had applied the last tooling. I always throw them out at
the end. My motto is: If you can't give emphasis without
shouting, don't give it.
I shall change the word "bugger", the meaning of which my
wife says I don't know - probably I don't - into "beggar".
The last paragraph shall go by the board.
"Armed from head to foot" shall go by the board.
Any further small objections will receive attention.
As for condensing the last chapter, I am
afraid that's out of the question. I wish I could expand
it; that is to say, reinstate what was cancelled when I undertook
to make this a one volume story: the history of N. & E.'s
married life belongs there. But it would fill at least three
chapters. I could rewrite it any time: I am afraid the original
manuscript does no longer exist. But no, I don't think I
could rewrite it, either. I am out of that thing: it has
become an object to me. My thought, my dream, my inspiration
is with other things. I have recently reread the penciled
Ms. of mine, crude, brutal; but to me it has the spark. And
I want to work it out. I can't screw myself back into the
Marsh-Mood now. So I am afraid that the chapter will have
to stand or the book go as a fragment.
I might close with the Bobby-chapter and let Niels get hanged.
Since I cannot, in one volume, include the marriage, I do
not care about N. & E.'s "coming together".
By the way, I think I shall have to arrive in Winnipeg on
Saturday, Feb. 7; for two reasons. I have to make connections
in Minnedosa. That connection is a very uncertain thing in
winter; secondly, I am afraid what caused my recent illness
was largely the rush, rush in which I was on that Tuesday.
I'll have to take my time about things. Here at home it always
takes me till 4 p.m. to get properly dressed. I am used to
loaf and stop in between.
Don't worry about any of those Mss, till I get there - I
knock wood: health and weather permitting.
I hope Ann is as well as can be: I am taken with that little
bit of humanity; she smiled at me and bawled at Miss.what's
her name: I considered it quite a compliment. Mrs. Grove
won't believe it. She says, "Oh yes, Mr. Grove likes children - theoretically."
Well, so long.
Yours,
F.P.G.
Remember me to Mrs. Phelps, please.
