on particular points; I did not choose to volunteer advice
till some pressing occasion; I have not even a vote, for I am
not a member of the municipality.

What ails you, miserable man, to talk of saving material? I
have a whole world in my head, a whole new society to work,
but I am in no hurry; you will shortly make the acquaintance
of the Island of Ulufanua, on which I mean to lay several
stories; the BLOODY WEDDING, possibly the HIGH WOODS - (O,
it's so good, the High Woods, but the story is craziness;
that's the trouble,) - a political story, the LABOUR SLAVE,
etc. Ulufanua is an imaginary island; the name is a
beautiful Samoan word for the TOP of a forest; ulu - leaves
or hair, fanua=land. The ground or country of the leaves.
'Ulufanua the isle of the sea,' read that verse dactylically
and you get the beat; the u's are like our double oo; did
ever you hear a prettier word?

I do not feel inclined to make a volume of Essays, but if I
did, and perhaps the idea is good - and any idea is better
than South Seas - here would be my choice of the Scribner
articles: DREAMS, BEGGARS, LANTERN-BEARERS, RANDOM MEMORIES.
There was a paper called the OLD PACIFIC CAPITAL in Fraser,
in Tulloch's time, which had merit; there were two on
Fontainebleau in the MAGAZINE OF ART in Henley's time. I
have no idea if they're any good; then there's the EMIGRANT
TRAIN. PULVIS ET UMBRA is in a different key, and wouldn't
hang on with the rest.

I have just interrupted my letter and read through the