Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage

Chapter 4 Marriage Is for Children

Fu l l r e a l i z a t i o n of Harper’s acceptance did not dawn on either Zane or Dolly for almost a month. In April Zane met with Hitchcock again to discuss a variety of matters related to the publication of Heritage of the Desert, as well as his juvenile book, and his new affiliation with the publishing house. While there he wrote excitedly to Dolly. Grand Hotel New York Dear Little Lonely Mama! Now, how’s that? I’ve got good new and bad. Take the bad first! I lost your frat pin. On the square now. I haven’t seen it since I’ve been here, and I’m very sorry for it had so many associations. I’m to sign the contract with Harper’s Friday. That’s settled. But I must do some new stunts to the MS. Mr. Hitchcock will report on the juvenile Friday. He wants a baseball story for next spring. It must be finished in January. I’ve a good deal to tell you about my last interview with him. Lots of significant , simply dazzling things. I’m up in the air, and also scared half out of my wits. But you must wait till I see you. Mr. Warner tried to cut me down again in price, and I up and told him I { 69 } c h a p t e r 4 Marriage Is for Children 1910–1912 couldn’t let him have the jungle stuff. I can get $500 for it from Recreation. I’ll do enough for Warner to pay you bills (notice!) And then cut him out. Oh! I’m getting pretty fair, thank you! I’ll try not to forget the oranges, etc. With Love to you and Baby, Doc P.S. I’m almost persuaded that you didn’t do so badly after all when you married me. He stayed in the city for several days to get the first copies of Field and Stream (with “A Trout Fisherman’s Inferno”) and to talk to the editors there about another article. Zane’s name was featured so often in sporting magazines that he had gained a reputation as an authority, and the editors accorded him due respect. At the back of his mind, however, doubt still lurked about his ability. Something really vital and wonderful has happened—Harper Brother’s acceptance of my desert romance. I do not seem to realize it. I can scarcely say that I am elated. I am glad, of course, but the wild joy I thought I’d feel is not manifest. A panicky feeling seems to be the strongest, a fear that I may not reach up to Mr. Hitchcock’s estimate of me. He praised my work and pointed out my faults. Still I am too flowery, too self conscious, stilted, strained. I must ease up in my terse work. More restraint. The strangeness and aloofness of my feeling for my characters must be remedied. I must put in the little significant touches that will make the story rise up stirring and warm with life. This acceptance marks the great change, focus point, perspective—whatever it is—of my literary labors. Again I don’t seem to realize, but I know this realization will come. What I needed most, and have been striving for, is now an assured fact. Rise to meet it I will.1 For the rest of April and until October he worked at Cottage Point. Breaking from previous practice, he and Dolly did not encourage visitors and politely refused invitations. His wife and son were all the company he had, and Halley’s comet in May was all the excitement he wanted. l a c k aw a x e n { 70 } Four juvenile novels were the product of this summer of sustained writing . As always, he wrote the first draft and Dolly corrected grammar, tightened construction, then rewrote each chapter in her own hand. By September she was exhausted. She, the baby (now almost a year old), and her mother went to Larchmont, New York, on Long Island Sound for the sea air. Zane stayed at Cottage Point. Heritage of the Desert was published September 8, and sales were better than for all of his earlier books together. His second juvenile, The Young Forester, hit bookstores in October. Royalty checks would not...