YourMOTHER。
ThisisaletterwrittenbymyfatherafterthepublicationofRichard\'sstory\"AWalkuptheAvenue。\"Richardfrequentlyspokeofhisfatherashis\"kindestandseverestcritic。\"
PHILADELPHIA，July22nd，1890。
10。30P。M。
MYDEARBoy:
Youcandoit；youhavedoneit；itisallright。IhavereadAWalkuptheAvenue。Itisfarandawaythebestthingyouhaveeverdone——Fulloffinesubtlethought，ofrare，manlyfeeling。
IamnotafraidofDicktheauthor。He\'sallright。Ishallonlybeafraid——whenIamafraid——thatDickthemanwillnotliveuptotheotherfellow，thathemayforgethowmuchthegoodLordhasgivenhim，andhowresponsibletothegoodLordandtohimselfheisandwillbeforit。Amanentrustedwithsuchtalentshouldcarryhimselfstraighterthanotherstowhomitisdenied。Hehasgreatdutiestodo；heowestributetothegiver。
Don\'tlettheworld\'stemptationsinanyofitsformscomebetweenyouandyourwork。Makeyourlifeworthyofyourtalent，andhumblybydayandbynightaskGodtohelpyoutodoit。
Iamveryproudofthiswork。Itisgoodwork，withbrain，bone，nerve，muscleinit。Itishuman，withhealthypulseandheartsomeglowinit。Remember，hereafter，youhavebyitputonthebarsagainstyourselfpreventingyoudoinganyworklessgood。Youhaveyourselfmadeyourrecord，youcan\'tlowerit。Youcanonlybeatit。
Lovingly，DAD。
InthelatterpartofDecember，1890，RichardleftTheEveningSuntobecomethemanagingeditorofHarper\'sWeekly。GeorgeWilliamCurtiswasthenitseditor，andatthistimenoperiodicalhadabroaderorgreaterinfluenceforthewelfareofthecountry。AsRichardwasthenbuttwenty-six，hisappointmenttohisneweditorialdutiescameasadistincthonor。ThetwoyearsthatRichardhadspentonTheEveningSunhadbeenprobablythehappiesthehadeverknown。HereallylovedNewYork，andatthistimeParisandLondonheldnosuchplaceinhisaffectionsastheydidinlateryears。Andindeedtherewassmallreasonwhytheseshouldnothavebeenhappyyearsforanyyoungman。Attwenty-sixRichardhadalreadyaccomplishedmuch，andhisnamehadbecomeafamiliaronenotonlytoNewYorkersbutthroughoutthecountry。Youthandhealthhehad，andmanyfriends，andatalentthatpromisedtocarryhimfarintheprofessionheloved。Hisnewpositionpaidhimasalaryconsiderablylargerthanhehadreceivedheretofore，andhenowdemandedandreceivedmuchhighertermsforhisstories。
AllofwhichwaswellforRichardbecauseashisincomegrewsogrewhistastes。Ihaveknownfewmenwhocaredlessformoneythandidmybrother，andIhaveknownfewwhocaredmoreforwhatitcouldbuyforhisfriendsandforhimself。Moneytohim，and，duringhislifehemadeverylargesumsofit，healwayschosetoregardasincomebutnevercapital。AbondorashareofstockmeanttohimwhatitwouldbringthatdayontheStockExchange。Therainydaywhichisthebugabooforthemostofus，neverseemedtoshowonhishorizon。Foramanwhoselivelihooddependedonthelastingqualityofhiscreativefacultieshehadaninfinitefaithinthefuture，andindeedhisownexperienceseemedtoshowthathewasjustifiedinthisbelief。Itcouldnothavebeenverylongafterhisstartasafictionwriterthathereceivedashighapriceforhisworkasanyofhiscontemporaries；
andjustprevioustohisdeath，morethantwentyyearslater，hesignedacontracttowritesixstoriesatafigurewhich，sofarasIknow，wasthehighesteverofferedanAmericanauthor。Inanycase，moneyorthelackofitcertainlynevercausedRichardanyworrimentduringtheearlydaysofwhichIwrite。Forwhathemadeheworkedextremelyhard，butthereputationandthespendingofthemoneythatthissamehardworkbroughthimcausedhiminfinitehappiness。Heenjoyedthereputationhehadwonandthefriendsthatsuchareputationhelpedhimtomake；heenjoyedentertainingandbeingentertained，andheenjoyedprettymuchallofthegoodthingsoflife。Andallofthisheenjoyedwiththenaive，almostboyishenthusiasmthatonlyonecouldtowhomithadallbeenmadepossibleattwenty-six。OfthesehappydaysBoothTarkingtonwroteatthetimeofmybrother\'sdeath:
\"TothecollegeboyoftheearlyninetiesRichardHardingDaviswasthe`beauidealofjeunessedoree，\'asophisticatedheartofgold。Hewasofthatcollegeboy\'sownage，butalreadyaneditor——alreadypublishingbooks!Hisstalwartgoodlookswereasfamiliartousaswerethoseofourownfootballcaptain；weknewhisfaceasweknewthefaceofthePresidentoftheUnitedStates，butweinfinitelypreferredDavis\'s。WhentheWaldorfwaswondrouslycompleted，andwecutanexam。inCuneiformInscriptionsforanexcursiontoseetheworldatlunchinitsnewmagnificence，andRichardHardingDaviscameintothePalmRoom——then，oh，then，ourdaywasradiant!Thatwasthetopofourfortune；wecouldneverhavehopedforsomuch。Ofallthegreatpeopleofeverycontinent，thiswastheonewemostdesiredtosee。\"
Richard\'sintimatefriendsofthesedayswereCharlesDanaGibson，whoillustratedanumberofmybrother\'sstories，RobertHowardRussell，AlbertLaMontagne，HelenBenedict，nowMrs。ThomasHastings，EthelBarrymore，MaudeAdams，E。H。
Sothern，hisbrother，Sam，andArthurBrisbane。Noneofthislittlecirclewasmarriedatthetime，itsvariousmemberswereseldomapart，andtheyextractedanenormousamountoffunoutoflife。IhadrecentlysettledinNewYork，andwehadroomsat10EastTwenty-eighthStreet，wherewelivedverycomfortablyformanyyears。IndeedRicharddidnotleavethemuntilhismarriageinthesummerof1899。Theywereverypleasant，sunnyrooms，andinthesitting-room，whichRichardhadmadequiteattractive，wegavemanyteasandsupper-parties。ButofallthehappyincidentsIcanrecallattheTwenty-eighthStreethouse，theoneIremembermostdistinctlytookplaceinthehallwaythenightthatRichardreceivedthefirststatementandcheckforhisfirstbookofshortstories，andbeforethemoneyhadbeguntocomeinasfastasitdidafterward。Wewereonourwaytodinneratsomemodestresortwhenwesawandatoncerecognizedthelongenvelopeonthemantel。Richardguesseditwouldbeforonehundredandninetydollars，butwitharatherdoubtingheartI
raisedmyguesstothreehundred。Andwhen，withtremblingfingers，Richardhadfinallytornopentheenvelopeandfoundacheckforninehundredandodddollars，whatawilddancewedidaboutthehall-table，andwhatadinnerwehadthatnight!
Notatthemodestrestaurantasoriginallyintended，butatDelmonico\'s!ItwasduringthesedaysthatSeymourHicksandhislovelywifeEllalineTerrissfirstvisitedAmerica，andtheyandRichardformedamutualattachmentthatlasteduntilhisdeath。
Richardhadalwaystakenanintenseinterestinthedrama，andatthetimehewasmanagingeditorofHarper\'sWeeklyhadmadehisfirsteffortsasaplaywright。RobertHilliarddidaone-actversionofRichard\'sshortstory，\"HerFirstAppearance，\"whichunderthetitleof\"TheLittlestGirl\"heplayedinvaudevilleformanyyears。E。H。SothernandRichardhadmanyschemesforwritingaplaytogether，buttheonlyactualresulttheyeverattainedwasaone-actversionSotherndidattheoldLyceumofmybrother\'sstory，\"TheDisreputableMr。Raegen。\"Itwasanextremelytenseandabsorbingdrama，andSothernwasveryfineinthepartofRaegen，butfortheforty-fiveminutestheplayletlastedSothernhadtoholdthestagecontinuouslyalone，andasitprecededaplayoftheregulationlength，theeffortprovedtoomuchfortheactor\'sstrength，andafterafewperformancesitwastakenoff。Althoughitwasseveralyearsafterthisthatmybrother\'sfirstlongplaywasproducedheneverlostinterestinthecraftofplaywriting，andonlywaitedforthetimeandmeanstoreallydevotehimselftoit。
BOSTON，January22nd，1891。
DEARFAMILY:——
ThisisjusttosaythatIamaliveandsleepy，andthatmyheadisstillitsnormalsize，althoughIhaveatlastfoundonemaninBostonwhohasreadoneofmystories，andthatwasBarrymorefromNewYork。TheFairchilds\'dinnerwasatremendousaffair，andIwasconqueredabsolutelybyMr。
Howells，whowentfar，faroutofhiswaytobeaskindandcharmingasanoldmancouldbe。YesterdayMrs。Whitmangaveateainherstudio。Ithoughtshemeanttohaveahalfdozenyoungpeopletodrinkacupwithher，andIsaunteredininthemostnonchalantmannertofindthatabouteverybodyhadbeenaskedtomeetme。Andeverybodycame，principallyowingtothe\"HardingDavis\"partofthenamefortheyallspokeofmotherandsoverydearlythatitmademeprettynearweep。
EverybodycamefromoldDr。Holmeswhonevergoesanyplace，toMrs。\"Jack\"Gardnerandallthedebutantes。\"Iwasoninthatscene。\"IntheeveningIwentwiththeFairchildstoMrs。JuliaWardHowe\'stomeettheS——sbutmadeapointnottoashewastalkinglikeacadwhenIheardhimandMrs。
FairchildandIagreedtobetheonlypeopleinBostonwhohadnotclaspedhishand。TherewereonlyafewpeoplepresentandMrs。HowerecitedtheBattleHymnoftheRepublic，whichI
thoughtverycharacteristicofthecity。To-dayIposedagainandCumnocktookmeoverCambridgeandintoalloftheClubswhereImetsomeveryniceboysandfeltveryold。ThenwewenttoateaCushinggaveinhisroomsandtonightIgotoMrs。Deland\'s。ButthemorningswiththeFairchildsarethebest。
DICK。
Inthespringof1891mymotherandsister，Nora，wentabroadforthesummer，andthefollowingnotewaswrittentoRichardjustbeforemymothersailed:
DEARDICK:
Thisisjusttogivemydearestlovetoyoumydarling。SomedayatseawhenIcannothearyounorseeyou，wheneveritisthatyougetit——nightormorning——youmaybesurethatwearealllovingandthinkingofyou。
KeepclosetotheLord。YourLordwhoneverhasrefusedtohearaprayerofyours。
JustthinkthatIhavekissedyouathousandtimes。
MOTHER。
FRANKLINSQUARE，NEWYORK。
June，1891。
DEARMOTHER:
YourlettersareagreatdelighttomebutIthinkyouaregoingentirelytooquickly。Youdonotfeelitnowbutyouaresimplyhurryingthroughthecoursesofyourlongdinnersorapidlythatwhendessertcomesyouwillnotbeuptoit。A
dayortwo\'srestandlessgreedtoseemanythingswouldbemuchmorefunIshouldthink，andyouwillenjoythosedaysmoretolookbacktowhenyouwanderedaroundsomelittletownbyyourselvesandmadediscoveriesthanthoseyouspentdoingwhatyoufeelyououghttodo。ExcusethislecturebutIknowthatwhenIgottoParisIwantedtodonothingbutsitstillandreadandlet\"sights\"go——Youwillsoonlearnnottoduplicateandthatonecathedralwillanswerforadozen。AndIamdisappointedinyourmaddesiretogettoEdinborotogetlettersfromhome，asthoughyoucouldn\'tgetlettersfrommeeverydayofyourlifeandasiftherewerenotenoughofyoutogethertokeepfromgettinghomesick。Iamashamedofyou。
ButthatisallthescoldingIhavetodoforIdonotknowwhathasgivenmemorepleasurethanyourlettersandNora\'sespecially。Theytellmethebestnewsintheworldandthatis，thatyouareallgettingasmuchhappinessoutofitasI
haveprayedyouwould。ImaygooverinSeptembermyself。
ButIwouldonlygotoLondon。Now，thenforHomenews。
Ihavesoldthe\"ReporterWhoMadeHimselfKing\"toMcClure\'sfor$300。tobepublishedinthesyndicateinAugust。Ihavefinished\"HerFirstAppearance\"andGibsonisdoingtheillustrations，three。Igot$175。forit。
IamnowatworkonastoryaboutArthurCumnock，Harvard\'sfootballcaptainwhowastheheroofClassDay。ItwillcomeoutthisweekandwillmatchLieut。Grant\'schance。InJulyIbeginastorycalledthe\"Traveller\'sTale\"whichwillbeusedintheNovemberHarper。Thatisall_I_amdoing。
Sofarthenoticesof\"Gallegher\"havebeenverygood，ImeantheEnglishones。
IwentuptoClassDayonFridayandspentthedaywithMissFairchildandMissHowellsandwithMr。H。forchaperone。Heisgettingoldandsaysheneverdeservedthefusstheymadeoverhim。Wehadaprettyperfectdayalthoughitthreatenedrainmostofthetime。Wewanderedaroundfromonespreadtoanothermeetingbeautifullydressedgirlseverywhereand\"lions\"andcelebrities。ThenthefightfortherosesaroundthetreewasveryinterestingandpicturesqueandarenalikeandthebestofallwassittinginthebroadwindowseatsofthedormitorieswithaGirlortwo，generally\"a\"girlandlisteningtothegleeclubsingandwatchingthelanternsandthecrowdsofpeopleasbeautifulasRedferncouldmakethem。
HalfofSeabrightwasburntdownlastweekbutnotmyhalf，althoughthefiredestroyedallthestoresandfishermen\'shousesandstoppedonlyonehouseawayfromPannachi\'s，whereIwillputup。IamverywellandcontentandlookforwardtomuchpleasurethissummeratSeabrightandmuchwork。IfindIhaveseldombeensohappyaswhenworkinghardandfastasIhavebeenforcedtodotheselasttwoweeksandsoIwillkeepitup。Notinsuchawayastohurtmebutjustenoughtokeepmehappy。
DICK。
NEWYORK，August1891。
FromThePallMallBudgetGazette。
\"TheAmericansaresaying，bytheway，thattheyhavediscoveredaRudyardKiplingoftheirown。ThisisMr。
RichardHardingDavis，avolumeofwhosestorieshasbeenpublishedthisweekbyMr。Osgood。Mr。Davisisonlytwenty-six，wasforsometimeonthestaffoftheNewYorkEveningSun。HeisnowtheeditorofHarper\'sWeekly。\"
Thatisme。IhavealsoamotherandsisterwhooncewenttoLondonandwhatdoyouthinktheyfirstwenttosee，inLondon，mindyou。Theygotintoafourwheelerandtheysaid\"cabbydriveasfastasyoucan，\"notknowingthatfourwheelersnevergofasterthanadeadmarch——\"to——\"wheredoyouthink？St。Paul\'s，theTemple，theAbbey，theirlodgings，theHousesofParliament——thePavilionMusicHall——theTower——notononeofthese——\"TothePostOffice。\"Thatiswhatmymotherandsisterdid!Afterthiswhentheyhintthattheywouldliketogoagainandsay\"thesemuffinsarenotEnglishmuffins\"and\"doyourememberthelittleInnatChester，ah，thosewerehappydays，\"Iwillsay，\"AnddoyourememberthePostOfficeinEdinburghandLondon。WehavenonesuchinAmerica。\"AndastheyonlygoabroadtogetletterstheywillhereaftergotoRittenhouseSquareandIwillwriteletterstothemfromLondon。AllthisshowsthatasimplehurriedlywrittenletterfromRichardHardingDavisisofmorevaluethanalltheshowplacesofLondon。ItmakesmequitePROUD。Andsodoesthis:
\"`Gallegher\'isasgoodasanythingofBretHarte\'s，althoughitisinMr。Davis\'sownvein，notintheborrowedveinofBretHarteoranybodyelse。`TheCynicalMissCatherwaight\'
isverygood，too，and`Mr。Raegen\'isstillbetter。\"
Butontheotherhand，itmakesmetired，andsodoesthis:
\"`TheOtherWoman\'isastorywhichoffendsgoodtasteinmorethanoneway。Itisablundertohavewrittenit，agreaterblundertohavepublishedit，andagreaterblunderSTILLtohaverepublishedit。\"
IsupposenowthatDadhascrossedwithPrinceGeorgeandNorahasseentheEmperor，thatyouwillbeproudtoo。ButyouwillbeprouderofyourdarlingboyCharles，eventhoughhedoesgetwipedoutatSeabrightnextweekandyouwillbeevenprouderwhenhewritesgreatstoriesforTheEveningSun。
RICHARD。
ThePlayers，16GramercyPark。
24th，1891。
DEARFAMILY:
Ihadagreatdayatthegameandgoingthereandcomingback。
Imetagreatmanyoldfootballmenandalmostallofthemspokeofthe\"OutoftheGame\"story。Cumnock，Camp，Poe，Terryandlotsmorewhosenamesmeannothingtoyou，soignorantareyou，werethereandwehadlongtalks。
IwenttoseeClevelandyesterdayaboutathingofwhichI
havethoughtmuchandtalkedlessandthatwasgoingintopoliticsinthiscountry。Tosayhediscouragedmeinsodoingwouldbesayingtherainiswet。Heseemedtothinkbreakingstonesasameansofgettingfameandfortunewasquickerandmoregenteel。IalsosawherandtheBABY。SheexplainedwhyshehadnotwrittenyouandalsoincidentallywhysheHADwrittenChilds。IdonotknowaswhatClevelandsaidmademuchimpressionuponme——althoughIfoundoutwhatI
couldexpectfromhim——thatisnothingherebutapparentlyaplaceabroadifIwantedit。ButhethoughtCongresswasperfectlyfeasiblebutthegreatestfollytogothere。
DICK。
CHAPTERV
FIRSTTRAVELARTICLES
ForRichardthesefirstyearsinNewYorkwerefilledtooverflowingwithmanyvariedinterests，quiteenoughtosatisfymostyoungmenoftwenty-seven。Hehadcomeandseenandtoadegree，sofarasthelimitationofhisworkwouldpermit，hadconqueredNewYork，butRichardthoroughlyrealizedthatNewYorkwasnotonlyaverysmallpartoftheworldbutofhisowncountry，andthattowriteabouthisownpeopleandhisowncountryandotherpeopleandotherlandshemuststarthistravelsatanearlyage，andgoontravellinguntiltheend。Andforthetwenty-fiveyearsthatfollowedthatwaswhatRicharddid。EvenwhenhewasnotonhistravelsbutworkingonanoveloraplayatMarionorlateronatMountKisco，sofarasitwaspossiblehekeptintouchwitheventsthatwerehappeningandthefriendsthathehadmadeallovertheglobe。HesubscribedtomostoftheEnglishandFrenchillustratedperiodicalsandtooneLondondailynewspaperwhicheverydayhereadwiththesameinterestthathereadhalfadozenNewYorknewspapersandtheinterestwasalwaysthatofthetrainededitoratwork。Richardwasnotonlyphysicallyrestlessbuthismindpracticallyneverrelaxed。Whenothers，tiredafterahardday\'sworkorplay，woulddevotetheeveningtocardsorbilliardsorchatter，Richardwouldwritelettersorporeoversomestrangeforeignmagazine，consultmaps，makenotes，orreadthestoriesofhiscontemporaries。HepracticallyreadeveryAmericanmagazinefromcovertocover——advertisementswereadelighttohim，andthefindingofanewwritergavehimasmuchpleasureasifhehadbeenthefictioneditorwhohadacceptedthefirststorybytheembryogenius。Theofficialorgansofourarmyandnavyhefoundofparticularinterest。NotonlydidhethusfollowthemovementsofhisfriendsinthesebranchesoftheservicebutifhereadofacasewhereinhethoughtasailororasoldierhadbeendoneaninjusticehewouldpromptlytakethematterupwiththeauthoritiesatWashington，andtheresultsheobtainedwereoftennotonlyextremelygratifyingtothewrongedpartybutcausedRichardnoendofpleasure。
Accordingtomybrother\'sarrangementwiththeHarpers，hewastodevoteacertainnumberofmonthsofeveryyeartotheeditingofTheWeekly，andtheremaindertotravelandthewritingofhisexperiencesforHarper\'sMonthly。HestartedonthefirstofthesetripsinJanuary，1892，andtheresultwasaseriesofarticleswhichafterwardappearedunderthetitleof\"TheWestfromaCarWindow。\"
January，1892。
(SomeplaceinTexas)
IleftSt。Louislastnight，Wednesday，andwenttobedandsleptfortwelvehours。To-dayhasbeenmosttryingandI
shallbeverygladtogetondrylandagain。ThesnowhasceasedalthoughthepaperssaythisisthecoldestsnaptheyhavehadinSanAntoniointenyears。ItmighthavewaitedamonthformeIthink。Ithasbeenamostdrearytripfromacarwindowpointofview。Nowthatthesnowhasgone，thereismudandiceandpinetreesandcoloredpeople，butnocowboysasyet。TheytalknothingbutChiliandwarandtheymakesuchfunnymistakes。WehaveaG。A。R。excursiononthetrain，consistingofonefatandprosperousG。A。R。，therestoftheexcursionhavingbackedoutonaccountofGarzawhothesalientwarriorsimagineasaroaringlionseekingwhomhemaydevour。Oneoldchapwithwhitehaircameonboardatadesolatestationandaskedfor\"theboysinblue\"andwasverymuchdisgustedwhenhefoundthat\"thatgrasshopperGarza\"hadscaredthemaway——Hehadtrampedfivemilesthroughthemudtogreetapossiblecomradeandwasmuchchagrined。Theexcursionshookhandswithhimandtheytookadrinktogether。
Theexcursiontellsmeheisaglassmanufacturer，anownerofaslatequarryandthebestembalmerofbodiesinthecountry。
Hesayshecankeepthemfouryearsanddoesso\"forspecimens\"thosethatareleftonhishandsandothershepurchasesfromthemorgue。HehasasonwhoisanactorandhefillsmefullofthemostharrowingtalesofIndianwarfareandthedetailsoftheundertakingbusiness。HeisSOfunnyaboutthelatterthatIweepwithlaughterandhecannotseewhy——JoeJeffersonandIwenttoamatineeonWednesdayandsawRobsonin\"ShestoopstoConquer。\"ThehousewasabsolutelypackedandwhenJoecameintheboxtheyyelledandapplaudedandhenoddedtotheminthemostfatherly，friendlywayasthoughtosay\"Howareyou，Idon\'tjustrememberyournamebutI\'mgladtoseeyou——\"ItwassomuchsweeterthanifhehadgotupandbowedasIwouldhavedone。
SANANTONIO
IknewmoreaboutTexasthantheTexansandwhentheytoldmeIwouldfindsummerhereIsmiledknowingly——ThatisallthesmilingIhavedone——DidyoueverseeastagesetforagardenorwoodscenebydaylightorConeyIslandinMarch——thatiswhattheglorious，beautifulbakingcityofSanAntonioislike。Thereismudandmudandmud——incans，inthegardensoftheMexicansandsnowaroundthepalmsandpalmettos——Doesthesunshineanywhere？Arepeopleeverwarm——Itisraw，uglyandmuddy，theMexicansaremerelydirtyandnotpicturesque。Iamgreatlydisappointed。ButI
havesetmyteethhardandIwillgoonandseeitthroughtothebitterend——ButIwillnotwriteanythingforpublicationuntilIcantakeamorecheerfulviewofit。IalreadyhavereachedthestagewhereIadmitthelaughisonme——ButthereisstillLondontolookforwardtoandthismaygetbetterwhenthesuncomesout——Iwenttothefortto-dayandwasmostcourteouslyreceived。ButtheytoldmeIshouldgoontoLaredo，ifIexpectedtoseeanycampaigning——ThereisnofightingnorisanyexpectedbuttheysaytheywillgivemeahorseandIcanridearoundthechaparralaslongasIwant。
IwillwriteyoufromLaredo，whereIgoto-morrow，Saturday——
DICK。
AtLaredoRichardleftthebeatentrackofthetraveller，andwithTrooperTyler，whoactedashisguide，joinedCaptainHardieinhissearchforGarza。Thefamousrevolutionistwassupposedtobeinhidingthissideoftheborder，andtheMexicanGovernmenthadaskedtheUnitedStatestofindhimandreturnhimtotheofficialsofhisowncountry。
InCamp，February2nd。
DEARMOTHER:——
WehavestoppedbythesideofatrailforawhileandIwilltakethechanceitgivesmetotellyouwhatIhavebeendoing。AfterTylerandIreturnedtocamp，wehadadayofrestbeforeCaptainHardiearrived。Heisayoung，red-moustached，pointed-beardedchapwithlightblueeyes，roughwithlivingintheWestbutmostkindheartedandenthusiastic。HetreatsmeasthoughIwerehissonwhichisratherabsurdasheisonlyuptomyshoulder。ItissohotI
cannotmakethewordsgostraightandyoumustnotmindifI
wander。Wearehuggingafenceforalltheshadethereisandthehorsesandmenhaveallcrawledtothedarksideofitandaresleepingorswearingatthesun。Itisabouttwoo\'clockandwehavebeenridingsincehalf-pastseven。IhavehadafirstratetimebutIdonotseethattherehasbeenmuchinittointerestanyonebutmyselfandwhereHarperBrothersorthe\"gentlereader\"comesin，IamafraidIcannotsee，andifIcannotseeitIfearhewillbeinabadway。IthaspleasedandinterestedmetoseehowIcouldgetalongunderdifficultcircumstancesandwithsomuchdiscomfortbutasI
sayIwasnotsentoutheretoimprovemytemperormyhealthortomakememorecontentwithmygoodthingsintheEast。
Ifwecouldhaveafightorsomethingthatwouldexcuseandmakeaclimaxforallthismarchingandreconnoiteringanddiscomfortthestorywouldhaveasuitablefinaleandaraisond\'etre。However，ImaygetsomethingoutofitifonlytoabusetheGovernmentfortheirstupidityinchasingajackrabbitwithabrassbandorbypraisingthemenfordoingtheirdutywhentheyknowthereisnodutytobedone。Thiscountryismoreliketheoceanthananythingelseanddrivesonecrazywithitsmonotonyanddesolation。AndtothinkwewenttowarwithMexicoforit——To-dayismytenthdaywiththetroopsinthecampandinthefieldandIwillleavethemassoonasthisscoutisoverwhichwillbeinthreedaysatthemost。ThenI
willgotoCorpusChristiandfromtheretotheranchesbutI
willwaituntilIgetbaths，haircutsandadinnerandcoolthingstodrink——OnethinghaspleasedmeverymuchandthatisthatI，withTylerandtheMexicanScoutmadethesecondbestridingrecordofthetroopsincetheyhavebeeninthefieldthiswinter。Theothersrode115milesin32hours，fourofthemunderthefirstSergeant，afterrevolutionists，andwemade110milesin33hours。Therestofthedetachmentmade90milesandourhavingtheextrathirtytoourcreditwasanaccident。Onthe31stHardiesentoutthescoutandtwotroopers，ofwhichTylerwasone，togetatrailandasI
hadbeenrestingandloafingforthreedays，Iwentoutwiththem。Weleftateightafterbreakfastandreturnedatseven，havingmadethirtymiles。Whenwegotinwefoundthatadetachmentwasgoingoutoninformationsentinwhilewewereout。Tylerwasinitandsowegotfreshhorsesandputoutatnineo\'clockbymoonlight。Thatwastokeepthepeopleintheranchfromknowingweweregoingout。Werodeuntilhalf-pastthreeinthemorningandthencampedatthesideoftheroaduntilhalf——pastsix，whenwerodeonuntilfiveintheafternoon。ThemenwhowerewatchingtoseemegiveupgrewmoreandmoreinterestedasthemilesrolledoutandtheFirstSergeantwasveryfearfulforhisrecordforwhichhehasbeenrecommendedforthecertificateofmerit。TheCaptainwasverymuchpleasedandallthemencameandspoketome。ItmusthavebeenagoodrideforTylerwhoisafifthyearmanwassotiredthathepaidamantodohissentryduty。WesleptatCaptainHunter\'scampthatlastnightandwebothcameonthismorning，ridingthirtymilesuptotwoo\'clockto-day。Fromherewegoonintothebrushagain。Iamveryproudofthatridingrecordandofmybeardwhichisfine。I
willfinishthiswhenwegetnearapost-office。
DICK。
February4th——WerodefortymilesthroughthebrushbutsawnothingofGarza，whowassupposedtobeinit。Butwecaptured3revolutionists，oneofwhomranawaybutthescoutgothim。Hardie，Tyler，whoishisorderly，andthescoutandItooktheminbecausetherestofthecolumnwaslaggingintherearandtheLieutenantgotballyhoolyforit。TylerdisarmedoneandItookawaytheotherchapsthings。Thenwetookafourthinandletthemallgoforwantofevidenceandaftersomeoftheranchmenhadidentifiedthem。
CORPUSCHRISTI，February6。
Weendedourscoutyesterday，andcampedatCaptainHunter\'slastnight——MothercannowresthersoulinpeaceasIhavedonewithscoutingsandhavereplacedthefreeandeasybeltandrevolverfortheblacksilksuspendersandthefirebadgeofcivilization。Iamstillcoveredwith11daysdirtbutwillgetlotsofgoodthingstoeatanddrinkandsmokeatCorpusChristitonight，whereIwillstayfortwodays。I
amwritingthisonthecarandarangerisshootingsplintersoutofthetelegraphpolesfromthewindowinfrontandhasaNewYorkdrummerinastateofabsolutenervousprostration。
ImettheRangerslastnightaswecameintocampandfindthemquitethemostinterestingthingsyet。TheyarejustwhatIexpectedtofindhereandhavenotdisappointedme。
Everythingelseiseitherwhatweknowittobeandknowallaboutorelseisdisappointinglycommonplace。ImeanweknowcertainthingsarepicturesqueandIfindthemsobuttheyhavebeen\"done\"todeathandnewmaterialseemssoscarce。I
amsometimesveryfearfulofthesuccessoftheletters——
However，theRangersIsimplyloved。TheyweregentlevoicedanddidnotswearasthesoldiersdoandsomeofthemwereashandsomemenasIeversawandSOBIG。Andsuchchildren。
TheyshowedmealltheirtricksattherequestoftheAdjutantGeneral，wholooksuponthemashisspecialproperty。Theyshotfourshotsintoatreewitharevolver，goingatfullgallop，hitamarkwithbothhandsatonce，shotwiththepistolupsidedownandtheCaptainputeightshotsintoaboardwithaWinchester，whileIwasputtingtwointothefieldaroundit。WegotalongverywellindeedandtheywerequitekeenformetogobackandchaseGarza。Theyaresuretheyhavehimnow。IgavetheCaptainpermissiontoputfourshotsintomywhitehelmet。Heonlyputtwoandtherestofthecompanythinkingtheirreputationswereatstakewhippedouttheirgunsandsnatcheduptheirriflesandblazedawayuntiltheydancedthehatallovertheranch。Thenremorseovercamethemandtheyproposedtakingupacollectiontogetmeasombrero，whichIstopped。SoNora\'shatisgonebutIamgoingtogetanotherandsavemyselffromsunstrokeagain。ThelastpartoftheridewasenlivenedbythepresenceofthreeMexicanmurderershandcuffedandchainedwithironbandsaroundtheneck，thatisTexascivilizationisn\'tit——
IhavehadmydinnerandafinedinneritwaswithfreshfishandduckandoystersandsegarswhichIhavenothadforaweek。IamfinishingthisatConstantine\'sandwillbeherefortwodaystowritethingsandwillthengoontoKing\'sranchandfromtheretoSanAntonio，whereIwillalsorestaweek。Iwilljustaboutgetthroughmyscheduleinthetenweeksatthisrate。Ihadagoodtimeinthebushandamenjoyingitverymuchthoughitislonelynowandthen——
Still，itisveryinterestingandifthestoriesamounttoanythingIwillbepleasedbutIamconstantlywonderinghowonearthChasstooditashedid。HeisaherotomeforI
havesomehopeofgettingbackandhehadnot——Heisasport——HowIwillsleeptonight——arealbedandsheetsandpajamas，afterthegroundandthesameclothesforelevendays。
oflove。
DICK。
WhileRichardwastravellingintheWest，hissecondvolumeofshortstories，\"VanBibberandOthers，\"waspublished。Thevolumewasdedicatedtomyfather，whowroteRichardthefollowingletter:
PHILADELPHIA，February15，1892。
MYDEAROWNDICK:
IhavenotbeenthecompleteletterwriterIshouldhavebeen，asItoldyouonSaturday，butIknowyouwillunderstand。Yourtwogoodletterscamethisevening，onetoMammaandonetoNora。Theywereagooddealtousall，most，ofcourse，toyourdearmotherandsister，whohaveafond，foolishfancyorloveforyou——strange——isn\'tit？
Yes，dearboy，Ilikedthenewstoryvery，verymuch。Itwasinyourbestbookandinfinespirit，andIliked，too，thededicationofthebook——itsmeaninganditsmanner。Iamgladtobeassociatedwithmydearboyandwithhisworkeveninthatbriefway。Youmaynotyetthoughtaboutitafterthisfashion，butIhavethoughtagooddealaboutit。Reportscometomeofyoufrommanysources，andtheyareallgood，andtheyallreflecthonoruponme——UponmeasI\'mgettingreadytosalutetheworld，asourFrenchfriendssay。ItisverypleasanttomeasIthinkitovertofeelandtoknowthatmyboyhashonoredmyname，thathehasdonesomethinggoodandusefulintheworldandfortheworld。Ihavesomethingmorethanprideinyou。Iamgratefultoyou。Ifthisisalittleprosie，dearoldfellow，forgiveit。ItislateatnightandIamalittletired，andbeingtiredstupid。
YousawTheAtlanticnoticeofyourwork。IwishyoucouldhaveheardNoraontheauthorofit，whowouldnothavebeenhappyinhismindifhehadunhappilyheardher。ShewentforthatHeathenChineelikeawildcat。Nodisrespecttoher，but，allthesame，likeawildcat。Tomeitwasinteresting。
Ididnotagreewithit，buthereandthereIsawtheflashoftruthevenintheadversepraise。Ishouldhavehadmorerespectfortheauthor\'sopinionifhehadlikedthatvitalspeck，Raegen。Ifhecouldnotseethedivine，humansparkinthat——aflashfromCalvary，whatistheuseofconsideringhim？Mygreatestprideinyou，thatwhichhasaddedsomesweetnessandjoytomylife，hasbeentherecognitionthatsomethingofthedivineelementwasgivenyou，andthatyourvoicerangoutsweetandpureatatimewhenothervoicesweresoundingthefascinationsofimpurity。That，likeChrist，youtaughthumanity。Don\'tbeafraidofbeingthought\"fresh，\"feartobethought\"knowing。\"Lifeisn\'tmuchworthatbest，——itisworthnothingatallunlesssomegoodbedoneinit——themore，thebetter。Don\'tmakeittooseriouseither。Enjoyitasyougo，butafterafashionthatwillbringnoreproachtoyourmanhood。Don\'tbeafraidtopreachthetruthandaboveallthereligionofhumanity。Goodnight，dearboy。I\'malittletiredtonight。
Withgreatlove，DAD。
ANADARKO-February26th，1892。
DEARFAMILY:——
IcouldnotwriteyoubeforeasIhavebeentravelingfrompillarstoposts，(ajoke)，inastage，nightandday。IwenttoFortRenofromOklahomaCitywheretheydrovemecrazyalmostwithtownlotsandlotsitesandhomesteadholdings。
Itwasallrawandmean，andgreedyformoneyandamanismuchbetteroffineverywayinatenementonSecondAvenuethanthe\"ownerofhisownhome\"inoneofthesemushroomcities——SoIthink。IwenttoFortRenobystageanditseemedtomethatIwasreallyintheWestforthefirsttime——
TheresthasbeenasmuchliketheoiltownsaroundPittsburghasanythingelse。Butheretherearerollingprairielandswithmillionsofprairiedogsanddeepcanonsandbluffsofredclaythatstandoutasclearasarazorhollowedandcarvedawaybythewaterlongago。AndthegrassisashighasastirrupandthetreesveryplentifulaftertheplainsofTexas。ThemenatFortRenowerethebestIhavemet，indeedIamjustalittletiredoftryingtotalkofthingsofinteresttotheSecondLieutenant\'sintellect。ButIhadtoleavetherebecauseIhadmissedthebeefissueandhadtoseeitandasitwasduehereIpushedon。Thispostisverybeautifulbutthemenareveryyoungandcivilappointmentsmainly，whichmeansthattheyhavenotbeentoWestPointbuthadfathersandhavefriendswithinfluenceandtheyarefresh。ButthesceneryaroundthepostisdelightfullywildandbigandthereisanIndiancampatthefootofthehillonwhichthefortisstuck。Mother，insteadofgoingtoEurope，shouldcomehereandseeherIndians。Onlyifshedidshewouldbringadozenormoreofthechildrenbackwithher。
TheyarethebrightestspotinmytripandIspendthemorningsandafternoonstryingtogetthemtoplaywithme。
Theyareveryshyandprettyandbeautifullybarbaricandwearthemostgorgeoustrappings。Thewomen，theolderones，aretheugliestwomenIeversaw。Butthemenarefine。Ineversawsuchcolorastheygivetothelandscapeandonealwaysthinkstheyhavedressedupjusttopleaseyou。IhavespentmostofmytimeandmoneyinbuyingthingsfromthembuttheyareverydearbecausetheIndianstakelongtomakethemanddonotliketopartwiththem。IhavehadroughtimeslatelybutIthinkIwouldbecontenttoremaininthewestsixmonthsifIcould。ItisthenecessityofleavingplacesI
likeandpushingontoplacesIdon\'t，Idislike。Renowasfinewithabandandlotsoffinefellows。Thispostisnotsoqueerbuttheyaresoyoung——Itmakesagreatbitofcolorthoughwiththeyellowcapesofthecavalryandthesoldierswig——wagingredandwhiteflagsatothersoldierseightmilesawayonothermountainsandtheIndiansinyellowbuckskinandblanketsandtheirfacespaintedtoo。Iwenttothebeefissueto-day——itwasnotaprettysightandmostbarbarousandcruel。IalsowenttoacouncilatwhichthechiefswereprotestingagainstthecuttingdownoftheirrationswhichisCommissionerMorgan\'sdoingandwhichitisexpectedwillleadtowar——WewentinoutofcuriosityandwithoutknowingitwasaCouncilandwereverymuchashamedwhenoneoftheChiefsroseandsaidhewasgladtoseetheofficerspresentastheywerethebestfriendstheIndianshadandtheonlymentheycouldrespectintimesofpeaceasafriend，orintimesofwarasanenemy。Atwhichwetookoffourhatsandsatitthrough。Mother\'sbloodwouldriseifshecouldhearthestoriestheytell，andtheyaresodignifiedandpolite。TheyhaveanIndiantroophere，liketheonedescribedinTheWeekly，whichyoushouldreadandtheCaptaintoldthemIwasagreatChieffromtheEast，whereatallthesoldierswhowereofnoblelineageclaimedtheirprivilegeofshakinghandswithme，whichhadademoralizingeffectupontheformationandthewhiteprivateswereeitherconvulsedwithmirthorredwithindignation。Butyoucannottreatthemlikewhitemenwhodonotknowtheirancestors——Dad\'sletterwasthebestIhaveevergotfromhimandhehadalwaysbetterwritewhenheistired。Iwillalwayskeepit。
DICK。
DENVER——March7，1892。
DEARFAMILY:
IarrivedinDenverFridaynightandrealizedthatIwasinacityagainwherethemoreyouorderpeopleaboutthemoretheydoforyou，beingcivilizedandsounderstandingthatyoumeantotipthem。Ifoundmyfirstletteronthenewsstandandwasverymuchpleasedwithit，andwiththewaytheyputitout。TheproofwasperfectandiftherehadbeenmorepicturesIwouldhavebeenentirelysatisfied，asitwasIwasverymuchpleased。Mybaggagehadnotcome，socoveredwithmudanddustandstrawfromthestagesandgenerallydisreputableIwenttoseeaburlesque，andsaid\"Frontrow，endseat，\"justasnaturallyasthoughI
wasineveningdressandhighhat——andthenIsankintoabeautifuldeepvelvetchairandsawAmazonmarchesandladiesintightsandheardtheoldoldjokesandtheoldoldsongsweknowsowellandsingsobadly。ThenextmorningIwentformymailandtheentirepostofficecameouttoseemegetit。
Ittookmeuntilsevenintheeveningtofinishit，andIdonotknowthatitwilleverbeanswered。Thebestofitwasthatyouwereallpleasedwithmyletters。Thatputmymindatrest。ThentherewasnewsofdeathsandmarriagesandengagementsandthesamepeopledoingthesamethingstheydidwhenIwentaway。IdidnotintendtopresentanylettersasIwasgoingawaythatnighttoCreede，butIfoundIcouldnotgetanymoneyunlesssomeoneidentifiedmesoIpresentedonetoaMr。Jeromewhoallthebankerssaidtheywouldbeonlytoohappytooblige。Afteronehasbeenvariouslytakenforadrummer，photographerandhasbeenofferedsomuchalineto\"writeup\"boomingtowns，itisarelieftogetbacktoaplacewherepeopleknowyou——ItoldMr。JeromeIhadaletterofintroductionandthatIwasMr。Davisandheshookhandsandthenlookedattheletterandsaid\"GoodHeavensareyouthatMr。Davis\"andthenrushedoffandbroughtbacktheentireestablishmentbrokers，bankersandmineownersandtheyallsataroundandtoldmefunnystoriesandplannedmorethingsformetodoandeatthanIcoulddisposeofinamonth。
IamnowenroutetoCreede。CreedewhenyoufirstseeitinprintlookslikecreedebutafteryouhavebeeninDenverorColoradoevenforonedayitreadslikeCREEDE。Allthemenonthiscarthinktheyaregoingtomaketheirfortunes，andtowardthatendtheyhaveonnewbootsandflannelshirts，andsomeofthemseeingmybeautifulclothingandcarefularraycameoverandconfidedtomethattheywerereallynotsotoughastheylookedandhadneverwornaflannelshirtbefore。ThiscaristypicalofwhattheytoldmeIwouldfindatCreede。Therearerichmineownerswhoarepointedoutbytheconductorasthefifthpartownerofthe\"PotLuck\"mine，anddudesinastrakanfurcoatsovertopbootsandnewflannelshirts，andhardenedoldtimerswiththeirbeddingandtinpans，whohaveprospectedalloverthestateandwomenwhoaresmokinganddrinking。
IfeelawfullyselfishwheneverIlookoutofthecarwindow。
SwitzerlandwhichIhaveneverseenisaspotonthemapcomparedtothis。Themountainsgoupwithsnowononesideandblackrowsoftreesandrocksontheother，andthecloudsseempackeddownbetweenthem。ThesunonthesnowandthepeakspeeringabovethecloudsisallnewtomeandsoverybeautifulthatIwouldliketobuyamountainandcallitaftermybestgirl。IwillfinishthiswhenIgettoCreede。
Iexpecttomakemyfortunethere。
DICK。
CREEDE，March7。
AyoungmaninasweaterandtopbootsmetmeatthedepotandsaidthatIwasMr。DavisandthathewasayoungmanwhoselifeIhadwrittenin\"Therewas90and9。\"HewasfromBuffaloandwaseditingapaperinCreede。HesaidIwastostopwithhim——Creedeisbuiltofnewpineboardsandliesbetweentwoimmensemountainscoveredwithpinesandsnow。
ThetownisbuiltinthegulleyandwhenthespringfreshetscomewillbeasecondJohnstown。Faber，theyoungman，tookmetotheGrubStateCabinwhereIfoundtwomostamusingdudesandthoroughbredsportsfromBoston，Harvardmenlivinginacabintenbyeightwithfourbunksandastove，twobanjosandHOPE。Theyownnumeroussilvermines，lots，andshares，butIdonotbelievetheyhavefivedollarsincashamongstthem。TheyhavealargepictureofmyselfforoneoftheORNAMENTSandaregreatgoodfellows。WesatupinourbunksuntiltwothismorningtalkingandareplanningtogotoAfricaandMexicoandAsiaMinortogether——Lotsoflove。
DICK。
Veryhappyindeedtobebackinhisbelovedtown，RichardreturnedtoNewYorklateinMarch，1892，andresumedhiseditorialduties。Butonthisoccasionhisstaywasofparticularlyshortduration，andinMay，hestartedforhislong-wished-forvisittoLondon。Theseasontherewasnotyetinfullswing，andafterspendingafewdaysintown，journeyedtoOxford，wherehesettleddowntoamusehimselfandcollectmaterialforhisfirstarticlesonEnglishlifeashefoundit。InwritingofthisvisittoOxford，H。J。
Whigham，oneofRichard\'soldestfriends，andwhoafterwardservedwithhiminseveralcampaigns，said:
\"WhenwefirstmetRichardHardingDavishewasliving，toallpracticalpurposes，thelifeofanundergraduateatBalliolCollege，Oxford。Anyoneatallconversantwiththecustomsofuniversities，especiallywiththeidiosyncrasiesofOxford，knowsthatforapersonwhoisnotanundergraduatetosharethelifeofundergraduatesonequalterms，totakepartintheiradventures，tobeadmittedtotheirconfidenceismoredifficultthanitisforthecameltopassthroughtheeyeofaneedleorfortherichmantoenterheaven。ItwascharacteristicofDavisthatalthoughhewasafewyearsolderthantheaverageuniversity\"man\"andcamefromastrangecountryand，moreover，hadnoofficialreasonforbeingatOxfordatall，hewasacceptedasoneofthemselvesbytheBalliolundergraduates，infact，livedinBalliolforatleastacollegeterm，andhappeningtofallinwithasomewhatenterprisinggenerationofBalliolmenhetooktheleadinseveralescapadeswhichhavebeenwrittenintoOxfordhistory。
Thereisinthemakeupofthebesttypeofcollegeundergraduateawonderfulspiritofadventure，anunprejudicedviewoflife，analmostQuixoticfeelingforromance，adisdainofsordidormaterialisticmotives，whichtogethermaketheyearsspentatagreatuniversitythemostgoldenoftheaverageman\'scareer。ThesecharacteristicsDaviswasfortunateenoughtoretainthroughalltheyearsofhislife。
ThesamespiritthattookhimoutwithabandofOxfordyouthstobreakdownanironbarriersetbyaninsolentlandowneracrossthenavigablewatersofShakespeare\'sAvoncarriedhim，inafteryears，tothebattlefieldswhereGreecefoughtagainsttheyokeofTurkey，totheinsurrectocampsofCuba，tothedarkhorrorsoftheCongo，toManchuria，wheregallantJapanbeatbacktheoverwhelmingpowerofRussia，toBelgium，wherehesawthelegionsofGermanytramplingovertheprostratebodiesofasmallpeople。RomancewasneverdeadwhileDaviswasalive。\"
