I have read your book, it has many faults; it is not written at all--it
is loose and lacking in all construction. You know nothing, as yet, about
life--you do not know what to use or what to reject. But the Spirit is
there, the right Spirit. It is a little flame--it will be very easily
quenched and nothing can kill it so easily as success--guard it, my son,
guard it."
Peter felt as Siegfried must have felt when confronted by Wotan.
His poor little book was dwindling now before his eyes. He was conscious of
a great despair. How useless of him to attempt so impossible a task....
The voice rolled on:
"I am an old man now and only twice before in my time nave I seen that
spirit in a young man's eyes. You may remember now an old man's words--for
I would urge you, I would implore you to keep nothing before you but the
one thing that can bring Life into Art. I will not speak to you of the
sacredness of your calling. Many will laugh at you and tell you that it is
pretentious to name it so. Others will come to you and will advise how this
is to be done and that is to be done. Others will talk to you of schools,
they will tell you that once it was in that manner and that now it is in
this manner. Some will tell you that you have no style--others will tell
you that you have too much. Some again will tempt you with money and money
is not to be despised.
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