[Letter] Mrach 29,1890,Smith College [to F.H. Giddings]

March 29, 1890, Smith College.

Dear Friend,
      Miss. Thayer goes
to Europe now, and will
try for a fellowship
another year. Thanks for
interest in her. She is
an exceptionally good girl.
 I must tell you that
after postponing my article
till June, the editors of the
Polit. Sci. Quarterly concluded
to virtually bounce it
altogether. They wrote
that it was too abstruse
for their readers. I could
have told them that at
the beginning, I am
trying to simplify and
popularize it for some
purpose; what purpose
it will be I do not as
yet know. If I end by
getting it into a shape in
which more will read it it
will be well to have had
it suppressed in its
present state. There was a slight indirect
intimation in Prof. Smith's letter that
they might publish the article if put into a
wholly new shape; but I shall not be likely to
knock at exactly that door till I find others
closed. I am in doubt whether to allow
myself to be a little mad or not. They may be
absolutely right about the popular valuelessness
of the paper. I will not yet give up my faith in
the new analysis of Distribution that it contains. Excuse
my inflicting this on you. One has to tell someone.

            Yours Very Truly,
                  J. B. Clark