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A Hunter’s Return to the Good Country

“Any gun that you’re used to, and throws a good heavy bullet that won’t go to pieces, ought to be all right. . . . But the principle is that foot ball players aren’t made by fancy pants, nor baseball players by eight dollar catcher mits, and shots are made by shooting; but a Springfield made to fit you, and heavy enough so it doesn’t kick is sure a lovely gun.”

—To Archibald MacLeish, Billings, Montana, November 22, 1930

“Did you know Joyce? He was terrible with his admirers; really insupportable. With idolators: worse. But he was the best companion and finest friend I ever had. I remember one time he was feeling fairly gloomy and he asked me if I didn’t think that his books were too suburban. He said that was what got him down sometimes. Mrs. Joyce said, ‘Ah Jim could do with a spot of that lion hunting.’ And Joyce said, ‘The thing we must face is I couldn’t see the lion.’ Mrs. Joyce said, ‘Hemingway’d describe him to you Jim and afterwards you could go up and touch him and smell of him. That’s all you’d need.’ ”

—To Bernard Berenson, La Finca Vigía, October 14, 1952

“I have to kill the beasts that kill their stock or molest and destroy their crops. So as long as I go OK on that I have a certain popularity. The beasts are no dopes by the time they take up marauding. . . . It is like knowing every day you are going to pitch in big league ball. Pitching you have to do with your arm so you could never start every day but I am a relief pitcher in this. You never come on until it’s no good. Have gone back to chewing tobacco to have confidence.”

—To Harvey Breit, near Magadi, Kenya, January 3, 1954