I think your "Mr. Wells" who gave a course of lectures on essay writing may be my friend Wells Drury, of Berkeley. If so, mention me to him and he will advise you what to do. Another good friend of mine, whom, however I did not succeed in seeing during either of my visits to California, is W. C. Morrow, who is a professional teacher of writing and himself a splendid writer. He could help you. He lives in San Francisco, but I think has a class in Oakland. I don't know his address; you'll find it in the directory. He used to write stories splendidly tragic, but I'm told he now teaches the "happy ending," in which he is right--commercially--but disgusting. I can cordially recommend him. Keep up your German and French of course. If your English (your mother speech) is so defective, think what _they_ must be. I'll think of some books that will be helpful to you in your English. Meantime send me anything that you care to that you write. It will at least show me what progress you make. I'm returning some (all, I think) of your sketches. Don't destroy them--yet. Maybe some day you'll find them worth rewriting. My love to you all. AMBROSE BIERCE. [The Olympia, Euclid and 14th Sts., Washington, D. C., January 20, 1913.] DEAR MR. CAHILL, It is pleasant to know that you are not easily discouraged by the croaking of such ravens as I, and I confess that the matter of the "civic centre" supplies some reason to hope for prosperity to the Cahill projection--which (another croak) will doubtless bear some other man's name, probably Hayford's or Woodward's. I sent the "Argonaut" article to my friend Dr. Franklin, of Schenectady, a "scientific gent" of some note, but have heard nothing from him. I'm returning the "Chronicle" article, which I found interesting. If I were not a writer without an "organ" I'd have a say about that projection. For near four years I've been out of the newspaper game--a mere compiler of my collected works in twelve volumes--and shall probably never "sit into the game" again, being seventy years old. My work is finished, and so am I. Luck to you in the new year, and in many to follow. Sincerely yours, AMBROSE BIERCE. [The Olympia Apartments, Washington, D. C., I prefer to get my letters at this address. Make a memorandum of it. January 28, 1913.] DEAR LORA, I have been searching for your letter of long ago, fearing it contained something that I should have replied to. But I don't find it; so I make the convenient assumption that it did not. I'd like to hear from you, however unworthy I am to do so, for I want to know if you and Carlt have still a hope of going mining. Pray God you do, if there's a half-chance of success; for success in the service of the Government is failure. Winter here is two-thirds gone and we have not had a cold day, and only one little dash of snow--on Christmas eve. Can California beat that? I'm told it's as cold there as in Greenland.