LITTERATEUR AND BOOK-HUNTER
of himself. It was a mistake with the third person. Th'y ties himself to the limitations of the first. I mention Esmond because H. W. is frequently compared to it or to Th'ys solemn failure, The Virginians. All this is to point out to my kindly critic why in an autobiography I could not broadly paint those wonderful Quaker people. My, or the old father John W. is the only picture from the life in my book. It is not as a Quaker that he is drawn. The original was a Presbyterian. I cut out some of my Quaker matter as making the book too long, but in Pemberton, Howell and Wetherill I think I have within my space done dignified justice to Friends; so say at least some who have read it. One in Germantown told Mr. S. he could not read fiction, but that perhaps H. W. was in a manner an allegory?
I read last night the to-be-read parts of your book. What a strange and interesting story — 3,000 from the lines of two. In 1783 came hither Jn. Cadwalader. Up to 28 years ago there had been 77 males of his name.
With my salutation of repeated thanks, I am
- Yours truly,
- S. Weir Mitchell.
- Yours truly,
In March, 1872, I was elected a member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, which then occupied as its hall the building 920 Spruce Street owned by the Pennsylvania Hospital, which had been erected for the accommodation of West's painting of Christ Healing the Sick. Ere long I became a member of the council and vice-president, and in 1900 was elected to the presidency. This event marked an innovation in the conduct of the Society. Up to my time the president had always been selected from among families long identified with the life of the city and had always dwelt south of Market Street. Soon after my election and through my intervention the Society received from the state $150,000, which enabled it to erect a commodious fireproof hall at 1300 Locust Street. No more useful expenditure of the moneys of the state could have been made, since here are preserved the records of its achievement which were scattered and lost from Harrisburg
