[Letter] July 22,1888,Ludlow House,Ludlow,VT. [to F.H. Giddings], [Together with a packet of 18 newspapers clipping from throughout the U.S. containing reviews of their book]

    July 22, 1888, Ludlow House, Ludlow, VT. [Together with a
    packet of 18 newspapers clippings from throughout the U.S.
    containing reviews of their book]

Dear Mr. Giddings.
 Your letter was
as cheering as a mountain
breeze. I am glad things
are opening in a way that
promises results of value,
and shall confidently look
for the results in some
permanent and effective
form. But what is your
definition of the word
vacation? If reading such
a list of books as you have
given, in the hours after
your office work is done,
constitutes taking a vacation,
what would constitute
going to work? I think I
draw what really is
'innocuous desuetude'
and I have taken a
large portion of it since
leaving Northampton. I
weighed then 130 and 1/4 lbs. Now
I weigh 140 and 3/8, being an
increase of nearly a pound
a day. I hardly expect to
keep that up through the
summer, but do hope to
bring home, if not more
wisdom, somewhat more of
nerve and muscle. We shall
see what we shall see.
 I have read the
Kennan papers, and 'All
sorts and conditions of People'
and am now reading 'Looking
Backward'. That is a
bit of a coincidence. What
I think of it at the present
time is that it will impress
most people as a Utopia, and
not hurt them much. To
those that are socialistically
inclined at the outset, it
may give some strength of
conviction. It may help to
elaborate plans that exist
vaguely in many minds.
 I don't know but we
must take the name Socialism
and redefine it; but I
do think we shall need
qualifying adjectives, if we do so.
It may be easier to get an
old vehicle of thought out
of the mire than to make
a new one that will
carry an equal load. Yet a
new one would be ( )
and cleaner, if we only could
get it.
 Speaking of coincidences
it is one little one that I
have undertaken, at the urgent
request of the local Congregational
minister, to talk to the
people for a few minutes this
evening on Socialism. Shall
I use your broad gauge
definition? I shall come
pretty near to it if I do
not quite do it. Yet I talk
to people who are not equal
to much discrimination,
and who want most to hear
about anarchic socialism
and its relation to the church.
 Another bit of
coincidence may interest you.
It is a great secret -
inter nos: Bryn Mawr
has made cautious overtures
to me about taking
Woodrow Wilson's place. It is
an associate professorship at
present; salary $2000 - work
confined to Economic and
Political Science. I have
said "No" for this year;
and have practically said
the same for good and all
unless they raise the pay.
I expect to hear that they
will ultimately perhaps
immediately raise the pay.
In that case would you
like to have me write to
Miss Thomas suggesting your
name? I think, I could do
it without seeming intrusive
and would delight in doing it
if you would like to try for
the place. Tell me with
absolute frankness how you
feel about it. I shall be
here, I think, for a
little over a week longer, and
then expect to go, by bicycle,
to Littleton N.H. Regards to
Mrs. Giddings.

           Yours Very Truly,
                 J. B. Clark