2110-2-11-13

McGill University Montreal, Feb 5 /14

My dear Buchan,

I am hoping that your experience and your good nature have ere this prompted you to leniency in the matter of my apparent neglect to thank you for your unique interest and your great help in the matter of my book.

Like yourself I have my usual duties, and an unusual press of things in the Xmas season. And I have a great deal of necessary immediate correspondence

in regard to the book.

I shall never forget the encouragement of your letter, and then after that the altogether great "lift" that I got from your invaluable review. I assure you the whole episode has been one of the most gratifying of my whole life. I cannot well say more than this, and you will at once see the credible side of this statement.

I am only now beginning the work of replying to some of the more outstanding, and kind, and important letters I received last December. They still keep coming in. Your review has, of course received, in my hearing, admiration on its own account. (Only one friend - I think - knows of it as yours - specifically - It is the "Skeleton"

to most - but this is enough). And I hope that your friends in London will recognise your hand - if they need to do so.

I count myself fortunate indeed to have done something that called forth that review. And I am thankful for the obvious desire of the reviewer to do the thing justice. Let me thank you definitely for the help that review gives to the book all over the world.

One of the things that pleased me most was that several important friends, [the two?] [Sellars?], Salter, James Ward (Cambridge. Prof), along with Schiller (an acquaintance only) talked of reading the thing "without stopping", as it were - some with an initial prejudice against Prag[matis]m.

Schiller told me that he asked the "Hibbert" to let him review it, and while he will "object" to some things (the attack eg on P[ragmatism]. for want of "logic"), he

will "draw attention to the book" - agreeing with you re its "importance" and "utility" etc. Jas Ward & Salter praise it highly - differing re the Bosanquet chapter, Ward being the one to praise it - "every word".

Arthur Balfour wrote me a kind letter - finding it "full of interest"

Many other favourable reviews have come in. I am greatly obliged to you for speaking to the Times editor.

I hope that you are well, and that your political prospects are looking up. If I were in the country, and if I could do any good by it, I would sit on any of your platforms and even "speak"

If Mrs Caldwell knew I were writing, she would wish to be remembered to you and to Mrs Buchan

With renewed thanks for your generous, discriminating interest

Yours ever sincerely

William Caldwell