I'm sending you the _New England Magazine_--perhaps I have sent it already--and a _Harper's Weekly_ with a story by Mrs. * * *, who is a sort of pupil of mine. She used to do bad work--does now sometimes; but she will do great work by-and-by. I wish you had not got that notion that you cannot learn to write. You see I'd like you to do _some_ art work that I can understand and enjoy. I wonder why it is that no note or combination of notes can be struck out of a piano that will touch me--give me an emotion of any kind. It is not wholly due to my ignorance and bad ear, for other instruments--the violin, organ, zither, guitar, etc., sometimes affect me profoundly. Come, read me the riddle if you know. What have I done that I should be inaccessible to your music? I know it is good; I can hear that it is, but not feel that it is. Therefore to me it is not. Now that, you will confess, is a woeful state--"most tolerable and not to be endured." Will you not cultivate some art within the scope of my capacity? Do you think you could learn to walk on a wire (if it lay on the ground)? Can you not ride three horses at once if they are suitably dead? Or swallow swords? Really, you should have some way to entertain your uncle. True, you can talk, but you never get the chance; I always "have the floor." Clearly you must learn to write, and I mean to get Miller to teach you how to be a poet. I hope you will write occasionally to me,--letter-writing is an art that you do excel in--as I in "appreciation" of your excellence in it. Do you see my boy? I hope he is good, and diligent in his work. * * * * * You must write to me or I shall withdraw my avuncular relation to you. With good will to all your people--particularly Phyllis--I am sincerely your friend, AMBROSE BIERCE. [Angwin, Calif., April 16, 1893.] MY DEAR PARTINGTON, I think you wrong. On your own principle, laid down in your letter, that "every man has a right to the full value of his labor"--pardon me, good Englishman, I meant "laboUr"--you have a right to your wage for the labo_u_r of teaching Leigh. And what work would _he_ get to do but for you? I can't hold you and inject shekels into your pocket, but if the voice of remonstrance has authority to enter at your ear without a ticket I pray you to show it hospitality. Leigh doubtless likes to see his work in print, but I hope you will not let him put anything out until it is as good as he can make it--nor then if it is not good _enough_. And that whether he signs it or not. I have talked to him about the relation of conscience to lab-work, but I don't know if my talk all came out at the other ear.