[Letter] Jan. 7, 1886, Smith College, Northampton, Mass. [to F.H. Giddings]

Jan. 7, 1886, Smith College,
Northampton, Mass.

My Dear Mr. Giddings,
          I suppose you saw the
economic papers and, therefore,
that you will see the symposium
on Labor in the 'Age of Steel.'
If so please have faith enough
in me to believe that I never
meant to puff my little book
in my part of the discussion.
The sentence referring to it
was, I thought, so far separated
from the rest of the article
as to be taken as addressed to the
editor himself, in a private
capacity. The publication of it
is a crushing practical joke
on me. I am writing this
P.M. to a very few of the
friends who I know will see
the article. I cannot, I
am sorry to say, reach all
readers of the paper; and to
put a card in the paper
would only make a bad matter
worse. I am not, to the
extent which appearances indicate,
an egoist. Of course nothing can be
done.
          Yours Very Truly,
                J. B. Clark