# see the letter

By [planet](https://paragraph.com/@planet) · 2022-08-31

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March 1973, E. B. White has written this neat reply to Mr. Nadeau, who has written to White seeking his views on the bleak future of humanity.

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Dear Mr. Nadeau:

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As long as there is one righteous man in the world, as long as there is one woman with sympathy in the world, there will be more such people, and the scene will not be desolate. Hope is what we are left with in difficult times. I would get up on Sunday morning, wind the clock, and do my part for order and stability.

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![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/5881a0e4980d15090d5426a34a5c3f6efc65ad28c82e710ed6a780f2687762bc.png)

Sailors have a saying about the weather: the weather is a bragging. I think it's the same with our human society - things may look grey and then the clouds clear and the sky clears and everything changes, sometimes in an instant. It is clear that humans have made life on this planet a mess, but we as a whole may have had the seeds of kindness in our hearts for a long time, just waiting for the time to come out. Human curiosity, tenacity, creativity, and ingenuity get themselves into trouble. We can only hope that these traits will also bring humanity out of the woods.

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Hold on to your hat, hold on to your hope. Wind up the clock, tomorrow is a new day.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/321bc6f6b3b610d056db75802daa93c7914403fbf164043380edc953f568d2be.png)

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E. B. White

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Art is useless because...

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In 1891, a young man, perplexed after reading Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," wrote to the great writer, politely asking him to explain the preface to the novel that "all art is useless" theme.

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  Dear Mr:

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Art is useless because the purpose of art is only to create emotions, it does not guide or influence behavior in any way.

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Art is extremely barren, and the joy that art brings lies in its barrenness. A work of art is as useless as a flower. A flower blooms for its own joy, and we gain a moment of joy in viewing it. Our relationship with flowers is just that. Of course, people can sell flowers. In this way the flower is useful to him, but it has nothing to do with the flower itself. This is not part of its essence, it is non-essential, an abuse.

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Wilde

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I will wait for you

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In 1615, the 22-year-old Japanese samurai Kimura Shigeni led his troops into the battle of Osaka. Mrs. Chongcheng predicted that her husband would be outnumbered. She also does not want to live alone without her heroic husband. This letter is her farewell letter. Unsurprisingly, Kimura was killed in battle and was decapitated; at that time, his wife had died.

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![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/648925973ab00d74b70e0759b07f2009e57113a4e29047ee78158eefc47323d3.png)

I heard that living together under the shade of a tree and drinking the water of a river is the fate of a previous life. Since the alliance of old age was formed a few years ago, I have followed you around like a shadow. This is what I believe, and presumably what you think.

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Recently, I heard that you are going to fight to the death. Although I can't share the grand occasion with you, I feel relieved. I heard that there was a king in China who was a heroic warrior, but on the eve of the end of the war, he was reluctant to leave because of Concubine Yu. I have no hope of living with you in this world. I am determined to follow the example of my ancestors and take the last step while you are still alive. I will wait for you at the end of Huangquan Road.

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*Originally published on [planet](https://paragraph.com/@planet/see-the-letter)*