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-4- I am saying all these things only on the supposition that you have made no definite arrangement and are under no definite
obligations to the Century Company. Your first book was naturally published by them because the articles which make it up
were published in their magazine. Now they are publishing some of your present articles and we are publishing some of them
in magazine form. If by reason of this we are on an equal footing with them--as I infer we are--pray read over again what
I have written about book publication. If we are not on an equal footing and we can hope for no more than magazine publication
of a part of your work, we shall be thankful for that and as much of that as possible, and we shall bear you no grudge if
your books go elsewhere. But--but--but--the place for permanent additions to American literature is in the catalogue a copy
of which I herewith send you--along with the other great additions to it. I send this letter to your home address to await
your coming. When you are done with EDITORIAL OFFICE OF The Atlantic Monthly, BOSTON. -3- The greatest single compact
body of American literature of permanent value that exists anywhere is put forth by this firm. This single fact gives the
firm an advantage that no other one has in putting writings which have sufficient merit first alongside of this compact mass
of permanent literature and finally into it---thus bringing about not simply such a sale of a book as can be made so long
as it is a new publication, but in addition thereto such a continual nurture of it as a piece of literature as will keep it
alive as long as it has any vitality whatever. I believe that Mr. Burroughs, for instance, has found great benefit of this
kind by reason of the publication of his works by Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin, and Company. I do not mean of course to make
any comparisons, but I cannot help thinking it doubtful whether, if he had pursued a different course, he now would have the
satisfaction of having a beautiful complete edition of his writings such as was issued by us last year. 02340