Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2698

Letters to Heath and to Spencer MacCallum from Lucille Cardin Crain (Mrs. Kenneth C. Crain), Wainscott, Long Island, New York,

September 16, 1957

 

Dear Mr. Heath:

I have just finished savoring Citadel, Market and Altar, and know that it is a book I will pick up over and over. For one thing your scholarship so outdistances my far more elementary concept of the scheme of things that I can only thus gain further appreciation of your ideal of civilized life.

 But what impressed itself over and over on me was that the author was himself the best illustration of the workability of his theory of the good society, in contrast to so many modern prophets whose deeds belie their words. Of most value to me, too, is your treatment of the deadening effect of government in all three spheres of human activity you discuss.

 I wished often that two persons I have known could have lived to read Citadel, Market and Altar, and to have become acquainted with its author. These are Burton Rascoe and Garet Garrett, both of whom, I feel sure, would not only have appreciated your ideas but equally the eloquent and charming style in which they are expressed.

 Do you by now have a circular for publicity purposes? If so, I would like to send it to some friends. In any event, here are the names of some persons, all of whom may be on your list, but who should certainly know of the book if they are not: Dr. A. H. Hobbs, Dr. George F. Carter (Johns Hopkins), Dr. Russell Kirk (I look forward to seeing a nice review in Modern Age – A Conservative Review), William T. Couch and Norman Dodd.

 Once more, thank you for Citadel, Market and Altar.

               

                Sincerely yours,
               (signed) Lucille Cardin Crain

 

Because of your grandson’s part in making the book a reality, I am sending him a copy of this letter. I know how proud Spencer must be to have been his grandfather’s collaborator in his distinguished work.

 

________________________________________________

 

 

Dear Spencer /MacCallum/:                   September 16, 1957

 

By now you are perhaps settled at the University of Washington, but I hope this note will reach you in due course. First I wanted you to know how very much your grandfather’s important work has meant to me, and then to tell you how very proud I know you must be to have had a significant part in bringing it to light. This is a timeless book, as you know, and I hope that a number of us conservatives will continue to spread the word about it for a long time to come.

 

 This carries my very best wishes to you for a most satisfying course of study at Washington U. Having had what seemed to me good reason to question the views of some of our modern anthropologists, I hope we may some time have a chat on the subject.

 

 All good wishes to you,

                            Sincerely,

 

                            (signed) Lucile Cardin Crain