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Correspondence from William Butler Yeats to Lady Gregory
18 Woburn Buildings Euston Road
Wednesday [6 June 1900]
My dear Lady Gregory:
No certainly I was not cross with you but I dare say I was a little cross with myself. I did not really know that I had left you longer than usual without a letter but I can certainly remember not writing once or twice because I wanted to wait till I had done some more work. I have not in my memory had such a number of little distractions. I have however done well what work I have done. The new bits of the novel are really good and for the first time it is real novel writing and not essay writing or lyrical prose, or speculative thought merely. It is now characterization and conversation. (But it is not long.) I got 'John Sherman', I remember, written in much the same way, little bits at a time, only in 'John Sherman' I started right. I have written out in prose the substance for some lyrics. But judged by bulk I have really done very little work.
I have found by the by the French source of 'The Countess Cathleen' story. I send you the opening and end of the story as the French book gives it. The middle is the same as in my 'Fairy and Folk Tales' except for the names. You will see he speaks of it as Irish. Please keep the extract for me, as I shall want it to make a note for my next edition. I copied it at the British Museum.
I wish very much I was at Coole for I am tired of this noisy town, which grows more noisy every day. On all hands rejoicing of the most ecstatic kinds. It is hard enough to sympathize with other peoples pleasures at the best of times but this kind of pleasure can only make one think of the country. Even the fact that Macgregors [Macgregor Mathers] masked man [Aleister] Crowley has been making was images of us all, and putting pins in them has not made life interesting.
Yrs alway
W B Yeats
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