in the course of wide travels to
take up the work of elaboration and revision. A presentable draft of my
story being finally prepared, I began to submit it to all sorts and
conditions of minds (in accordance with Mill's dictum that only in that
way can the truth be obtained). In my quest for criticism and advice, I
fortunately decided to submit my manuscript to Professor William James
of Harvard University, the most eminent of American psychologists and a
masterful writer, who was then living. He expressed interest in my
project; put my manuscript with others on his desk--but was somewhat
reserved when it came to promising to read my story. He said it might
be months before he could find time to do so. Within a fortnight,
however, I received from him a characteristic letter. To me it came as
a rescuing sun, after a period of groping about for an authoritative
opinion that should put scoffers to flight. The letter read as follows:

95 IRVING ST., CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
July 1, 1906.

DEAR MR. BEERS:

Having at last "got round" to your MS., I have read it with very
great interest and admiration for both its style and its temper. I
hope you will finish it and publish it. It is the best written out
"case" that I have seen; and you no doubt have put your finger on
the weak spots of our treatment of the insane, and suggested the
right line of remedy. I have long thought that if I were a
millionaire, with money to leave for public purposes, I should
endow "Insanity" exclusively.

You were doubtless a pretty intolerable character when the maniacal
condition came on and you were bossing the universe. Not only
ordinary "tact," but a genius for diplomacy must have been needed
for avoiding rows with you; but you certainly were wrongly treated
nevertheless; and the spiteful Assistant M.D. at ---- deserves to
have his name published. Your report is full of instructiveness
for doctors and attendants alike.

The most striking thing in it to my mind is the sudden conversion
of you from a delusional subject to a maniacal one--how the whole
delusional system disintegrated the moment one pin was drawn out
by your proving your brother to be genuine. I never heard of so
rapid a change in a mental system.

You speak of rewriting. Don't you do it. You can hardly improve
your book. I shall keep the MS. a week longer as I wish to impart
it t