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Martinez Apr 24/02 My dear Johnson, I have not given Mr Powers permission to use Stickeen as an advertisement nor have
I been within a thousand literary miles of doing so. I know not Powers Ye heavenly powers nor fear the powers of all the advertising
powers to harm the little doggie of blessed memory. In sending you the advertising letter I only thought of raising a smile
on the weary editorial phyz or phiz. But how solemly you take it. Too much grandfather, soninlaw, office work I fear. You
wonder what Shakespear would think if he saw Hamlet used to sell Danish blood hounds . I wonder what he would think if he
saw a lover of pure literature using such safforn--hired titles as a dog a glacier to sell Century Magazines, half made up
of advertisements,--thus falling down to the tricks of base Yellow Journalism instead of staying aloft on the blue icy heights
of Classic Stickeen But writing Classic or Yellow is all weary work bids fair to be the death of me. Here half the winter
has been spent on the Grand Canon no end yet in sight-- A plague on both your houses, Truly literature is in a bad way . Poor
Lady she must have caught some misserable disease, The Golden Grippe I guess, or Commercial influenza as you city editors
may call it. Next month, you say, you are going to try to elevate the standard of the profession . Bully for you This will
help her, but for a complete cure I think the poor invalid should go up a Canon. But mind you, not the Colorado, not that
one; advise against it, under any color it would kill her. Try to10033