RN Linscott to FPK, October 5, 1918
Dublin Core
Title
RN Linscott to FPK, October 5, 1918
Description
This letter talks about the revisions she needs to make to her book, "The Old Gray Homestead", which includes taking out her entire conclusion of the story.
Creator
RN Linscott
Source
From the collection of Frances Parkinson Keyes Papers, Special Collections, University of Vermont Library.
Date
1918-10-05
Contributor
Rachel Murray & Brodey Lajoie
Type
Document
Letter
Typed
Letter
Typed
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
Houghton Mifflin Company
4 Park Street Boston
October 5, 1918
Dear Mrs. Keyes,
I have at last found an opportunity to re-read “The Old Gray Homestead”, and have discovered exactly three revisions that I should like to suggest.
First, I think that the two letters from Austin dated September 24th and October 12th (pages 35 to 40) might well be omitted. This will necessitate a certain amount of revision in the last letter, as I believe there are references there to matters mentioned in the preceding letters.
Second, It seems to me that the material you interpolated in Chapter XIV is not placed quite correctly. Would it not be better if the passage about Thomas and Austin beginning “In the midst of such general satisfaction” (the second page of chapter XIV) were placed at the end of the monologue by Mrs. Eliot, instead of in front of it, and a new chapter started beginning “Strangely enough, Sylvia and Austin were perhaps less happy at this date” etc. That would give us a semi-humorous chapter devoted entirely to Mrs. Eliot and to the quarrel between Tom and Austin, and leave the important passage regarding Austin’s quarrel with Sylvia for a chapter by itself.
My third suggestion, and the one that you will probably come furthest from agreeing with, is that the entire last chapter be omitted. It seems to me that the natural and pleasantest ending for a book entitled “The Old Gray Homestead” will be on note struck by Mr. and Mrs. Gray at the close of the preceding chapter. Furthermore, it seems to me that the present last chapter is bound to give the impression that you have dragged in the war by the hair, and I don’t think it is going to be of any particular value in the sale of the book, as the war will probably be over long before the volume is published.
I believe you said in one your previous letters that you had a carbon copy of the manuscript, and it would not be necessary for me to return it for revision. If you will, therefore, send us new copy for any pages where revision is necessary, and let us know just what pages are omitted, we will fix up our copy here and re-number the pages and chapters.
Yours very truly,
RN Linscott
Mrs. H. W. Keyes,
Pine Grove Farm,
North Haverill, N.H.
RNL/T
4 Park Street Boston
October 5, 1918
Dear Mrs. Keyes,
I have at last found an opportunity to re-read “The Old Gray Homestead”, and have discovered exactly three revisions that I should like to suggest.
First, I think that the two letters from Austin dated September 24th and October 12th (pages 35 to 40) might well be omitted. This will necessitate a certain amount of revision in the last letter, as I believe there are references there to matters mentioned in the preceding letters.
Second, It seems to me that the material you interpolated in Chapter XIV is not placed quite correctly. Would it not be better if the passage about Thomas and Austin beginning “In the midst of such general satisfaction” (the second page of chapter XIV) were placed at the end of the monologue by Mrs. Eliot, instead of in front of it, and a new chapter started beginning “Strangely enough, Sylvia and Austin were perhaps less happy at this date” etc. That would give us a semi-humorous chapter devoted entirely to Mrs. Eliot and to the quarrel between Tom and Austin, and leave the important passage regarding Austin’s quarrel with Sylvia for a chapter by itself.
My third suggestion, and the one that you will probably come furthest from agreeing with, is that the entire last chapter be omitted. It seems to me that the natural and pleasantest ending for a book entitled “The Old Gray Homestead” will be on note struck by Mr. and Mrs. Gray at the close of the preceding chapter. Furthermore, it seems to me that the present last chapter is bound to give the impression that you have dragged in the war by the hair, and I don’t think it is going to be of any particular value in the sale of the book, as the war will probably be over long before the volume is published.
I believe you said in one your previous letters that you had a carbon copy of the manuscript, and it would not be necessary for me to return it for revision. If you will, therefore, send us new copy for any pages where revision is necessary, and let us know just what pages are omitted, we will fix up our copy here and re-number the pages and chapters.
Yours very truly,
RN Linscott
Mrs. H. W. Keyes,
Pine Grove Farm,
North Haverill, N.H.
RNL/T