, so I will belay
this, and with best wishes for you and yours,

I am, yours truly,

J. A. MELLON.

P. S.--Fisher is long since called to his Long Home.

*****

I had fancied, when Vanished Arizona was published, that it might
possibly appeal to the sympathies of women, and that men would lay it
aside as a sort-of a "woman's book"--but I have received more really
sympathetic letters from men than I have from women, all telling me, in
different words, that the human side of the story had appealed to them,
and I suppose this comes from the fact that originally I wrote it for my
children, and felt perfect freedom to put my whole self into it. And now
that the book is entirely out of my hands, I am glad that I wrote it as
I did, for if I had stopped to think that my dream people might be real
people, and that the real people would read it, I might never have had
the courage to write it at all.

The many letters I have received of which there have been several
hundred I am sure, have been so interesting that I reproduce a few more
of them here:

FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. January 10, 1909.

My dear Mrs. Summerhayes:

I have just read the book. It is a good book, a true book, one of the
best kind of books. After taking it up I did not lay it down till it was
finished--till with you I had again gone over the malapais deserts of
Arizona, and recalled my own meetings with you at Niobrara and at old
Fort Marcy or Santa Fe. You were my cicerone in the old town and I
couldn't have had a better one--or more charming one.

The book has recalled many memories to me. Scarcely a name you mention
but is or was a friend. Major Van Vliet loaned me his copy, but I shall
get one of my own and shall tell my friends in the East that, if they
desire a true picture of army life as it appears to the army woman, they
must read your book.

For my part I feel that I must congratulate you on your successful work
and thank you for the pleasure you have given me in its perusal.

With cordial regard to you and yours, and with best wishes for many
happy years.

Very sincerely yours,

L. W. V. KENNON, Maj. 10th Inf.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, NATIONAL GUARD OF PENNSYLVANIA,
WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA. JANUARY 19, 1908.

Dear Madam:

I am sending you herewith my check for two copies of "Vanished Arizona."
This summer our mutual friend, Colonel Beaumont (late 4th U. S. Cav.)
ordered two copies for me and I h