Woodrow Wilson to Richard Heath Dabney

Title

Woodrow Wilson to Richard Heath Dabney

Creator

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Identifier

WWP20426

Date

1885 February 14

Description

Woodrow Wilson discusses the publication of Congressional Government and his acceptance of a teaching position at Bryn Mawr with his friend, Richard Heath Dabney.

Language

English

Text

My dear Heath,

Your postal card of Jany. 24th reached me the other day, and I was pricked e'en to the heart thereby. Not that I had really neglected you; but I had certainly seemed to neglect you. The fact is that your letter of last year (!) came just when I was in the thickest of the fight with my University work—and with other things in addition: for, if the whole truth must be confessed, I was writing a book, and the writing thereof absorbed all my time and energy from Jany. to summer vacation, and through summer vacation till my return here in October—that is, all the strength and time that were left over from my other duties—to wit, University reading and courting! But I made the writing count for all it was worth. I read the first essays of my series before our Historical Seminary here—and lo! such was the fame of them that they won the appointment of Fellow for me for this year. And on the 24th of Jany just passed Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. of Boston issued a neat duodecimo entitled “Congressional Government: a Study in American Politics,” by Woodrow Wilson, Fellow in History, Johns Hopkins University. Yes, I've been saying my final say about my hobby, the comparative merits of congressional and parliamentary government. I won't bore you with an analysis of the book, because I am going to send you a copy of it as soon as I can obtain it from the publishers; but I can tell you what the indications are as to its success. There have been a great many notices of it in the papers and all of them very favourable indeed so far as I have seen or heard. The Nation of this week has a three-column review of it which quite takes my breath away by starting out in this fashion: “We have no hesitation in saying that this is one of the most important books, dealing with political subjects, which have ever issued from the American press,” with more to the same effect! The publishers accepted my mss. in an exceedingly flattering manner, offering me their very best terms—But that's enough for that. To write all this down seems too much like bald self-laudation, even though I know that I am writing it only because I know that it will gratify your big, genuine old West Range heart to learn that a fellow you care something for has had a bit of success.I am reading for my Ph.D.—contrary to my one-time determination, and mayhap with too tardy a change of plan to leave myself time for completing the needful preparation—because it's this year or never. I could keep my Fellowship next year and take the degree then with some little comfort and ease; but I am anxious to get to work—for many reasons which you can surmise without any aid from me—and a position was offered to me for next year which, because of its possibilities rather than because of its immediate returns, was much too good to refuse. A benevolent member of the Society of Friends (alias the Quakers) resident in New Jersey, but having his heart, it would seem, warm towards the city where citizens of his persuasion most do congregate and multiply and wax strong in spirit, made provision for the founding of a college for the young women of the land to be situate at Bryn Mawr, a few miles out from Philadelphia, and then died, leaving the scheme in charge of sundry wise and Friendly men, one or two of whom are also Trustees of “the Hopkins.” These gentlemen, after the thrifty manner of their kind—a manner which was also enjoined, be it said, in the aforesaid founder's last will and testament—set about erecting, upon the interest of Mr. Taylor's $800,000, the necessary buildings, meantime concocting a course of instruction which was to warrant the wits of this University in dubbing the new college “the Miss Johns Hopkins” or “the Johanna Hopkins.” The buildings are now almost completed; the first session is to open next September; and your humble servant has been invited to be one of the new faculty and spread himself in the organization of a department of History and Political Science. There are to be several women in the faculty—the Dean (a PhD. of Zürich) is to be a woman—but there are to be more men—and the President is a man. The great advantages of the place are its situation in the midst of the most cultivated portion of the country and the freedom of method, the comparatively limited number of topics to teach, and the comparatively small number of hours per week in teaching them, that will be given each instructor. And the salary will be sufficient from the first to support two persons. You don't wonder that I accepted the place—do you—in view of the probable alternative of having to teach this, that, and everything somewhere away off from all the great libraries and from the lively, stimulating centres of thought?

But I am handicapped for my degree because of the extra work with which I was indiscreet enough to saddle myself. Dr. Ely (our economist) is preparing a history of political economy, and, as and episode of his labours in that field, wishes to publish a volume on the history of the science in this country. But he has impressed me and another “graduate student” into this part of the voyage and I am to wade—am wading, indeed—through innumerable American text writers of the orthodox Ricardian school (Perry, Bowen, Wayland, Vethake, and the rest) for the purpose of writing, with as profound an air of erudite criticism and infallible insight as I can by any means counterfeit, about one-third of the projected treatise. I am to get full credit as joint author of the volume: but the question that is worrying me at present is, will it be creditable?I am considerably better contented with the University courses this year than I was last: whether because I am enjoying the acceptable emolument of the Fellowship stipend or because the courses—or rather the coursers—have taken a brace is too recondite a problem for my present powers of solution. Doubtless the real truth of the matter is that I expected too much at first, neglecting the principle you point out in your letter, that everything of progress comes from one's private reading—not from lectures; that professors can give you always copious bibliographies and sometimes inspiration or suggestion, but never learning. Of course I did not hope to be given the latter through lectures—I looked for too much inspiration and suggestion, and was too little content with mere recreation and book-lists.I have many times regretted, my dear fellow, that I had absolutely no chance of meeting your aunts and grandfather here. I know that I should find them delightful—and that's just the sort of delight that I need to relieve this “demnition horrid grind”: but I just can't make calls and my degree both in the same year. I have to endure daily the scowls and remonstrances of my several Princeton classmates dwelling here because I frequent their company seldom or never. As a 'Varsity friend of mine would say, for a time I positively must “herd alone.”

I received the volume of Bagby's writings you were so thoughtful as to have sent to me and got much diversion out of the same. One or two of the pieces were easily recognizable as old friends. When the book came with your name in your own familiar fist on the cover, my first thought was that you were at home—for a moment my my wish was father to the thought that you were once more on this side the water. You will be back within the twelve month, wont you? I hope so, for the sake of my sore eyes. When you do get back make a small pilgrimmage to Bryn Mawr and—if the gods permit meanwhile the plan by which I am to be married in June—I will introduce you to Mrs. Wilson, as a sufficient explanation of why I did not remain single.

Give my warmest love to all the old friends to be found in Berlin and keep lots for yourself. What would I not give to see you, thou very ass—oh though illimitable idiot! I will be in the penitentiary before I cease to be

Your loving friend
Woodrow Wilson

Original Format

Letter

To

Dabney, Richard Heath, 1860-1947

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/UVA00081885.pdf

Citation

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924, “Woodrow Wilson to Richard Heath Dabney,” 1885 February 14, WWP20426, University of Virginia Woodrow Wilson Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.