The New York herald., 1922-10-22

doubts. 1t had the look of a premeditated
desertion. Yours always sincerely.
BRET HARTE.
p. S.-If he should be so unprincipled
a bird as to make his appearance at Pye
Corner with another mate-hoping you
would not detect the difference-don't be
deceived The real victim is here!
B. H
Bret Harte made a hobby of photography
this hand camera stands on a book Shelf
in the room where now write) and was
eager that should share his taste. To en-
me he gave me a pocket kodak
and we then began a friendly rivalry in
snapshots" He wrote to me:
AFFORD House.
Headley, Hants, Sunday.
MY DEAR Miss MAY:
/ am quite envious of your photo
graphic success. The little kodak pic
ture of your sister is wonderfully good
and shames my feeble efforts in the
garden at Broadway, except the one
where "snapshotted" the "snapshooter"
herself and brought down you and the
dog with one barrett Alas, the Mary
failure, and the sublime patience your
father and mother are showing in the
most atrocious Photographic situations
brings tears to my eyes. Your mother.
however, has a certain reserved melo-
dramatic look in her eyes, as if she were
''biding her time" / shall dread coming
again to Broadway! Thanks for the
prompt expedition of the third act. You
must be STEPPED in the drarnasby this
time. With love to all at Pye Corner
yours always sincerely, BRET HARTE.
AS my father and Bret Harte worked
together at the plays 1 made the type
written copies from the manuscript pages
during one of his longer visits
Bret Harte would be engaged in writing
one Of his inimitable stories. stiI fragrant
of the Far West. though written in the
heart of England: and then it was my
privilege to copy his manuscript; small
neatly written sheets, bearing scarcely q
correction, the handwriting so small that
often 1 had to use a magnifying glass tc
enable me to decipher some name or un-
familiar expression. or in desperation, tC
invade his study and ask for what he
called interpretations" When
writing he always wore eyeglasses with
magnifying lenses. and he was
his caligraphy He never put pen to paper
till he had composed the particular phrase
exactly as he meant it to stand, had found
the right word which would perfectly
convey his meaning. THIS made progress
slow. and have known him to write all
morning and the result be only one or tive
small but perfectly accurate pages. H,
was a hard worker his output was enor
nous. His fertile brain was never at
loss for plot or incident round which Il
weave his delicate, whimsical imagination
1 copy one or two more letters. peerinG
as do so into the microscopic writing.
"A Lancaster Gate.
London w. March II.
DEAR Miss MAY:
Many thanks for the handsome type
written copy of the prompt-book of
"Sue." Were you not alarmed at the
prompt" directions. especially those
cabalistic fractions about the ~ (" 80 4"
lights &c. I? The blue in punches" and
the whites slowly out" are dreadfully
creepy.
BY the way. have you yet photographed
by your magnesium light? l have
bought one just like yours, but 1 haven't
tried it yet You might give me a hint
if you have used yours.
am sending YOU the libretto of
the one act opera / spoke of. 1t
contains about : 0OO words and I shouid
like you to do it as quickly as you can.
as the composer wants to take it to
Germany with him. There is no recita-