good pun, I remarked facetiously that "hope springs eternal",
meaning that probably there were in existence several families of
that name.

I am happy to state that with that meeting began a friendship
which has lasted for many years. When Mr. Harding was nominated
for the presidency, I wrote at once, enclosing a copy of "The
Advance of the English Novel" which I had published in 1916. On
the title-page I wrote, "To the Hero of a Much More Spectacular
Advance", meaning that the progress made by the English novel was
as nothing compared to Mr. Harding's rapid and well-deserved
rise. In reply I received the following:

6 July, 1920. MY DEAR
PROFESSOR PHELPS:

Many thanks to you for your congratulations and your kindness in
sending me your brilliant, searching essays which I hope to be
able to read in the near future.
WARREN G. HARDING.

Just as I am always glad that I am an American, so I think we
should all believe whole-heartedly in the glorious future which
lies ahead of us. We should all pay high tribute to the ideals
and sincerity of those great leaders Woodrow Wilson and Warren
Harding. What a pity that some people believe that there is any
antagonism or essential difference in the aims of those two
worthy men. Both are absolutely sincere--both try to make the
world a better, more happy place. And to the critic of history--
as to the critic of art and literature--those are the essential