Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/369

 In his old copy of Joaquin Miller's Poems there is a notation of titles for his books in the order he expected to write them:

Not only had he selected the titles but he had the plots pretty well outlined in his mind.

To the extent permitted by use of his spare time from studying theology and earning his way at Oakland, the creative impulse he received from the publication and success of The Bridge of the Gods was spent largely in extensive revision of Genevieve: A Tale of Oregon. He wrote it, as has been said, before he wrote The Bridge of the Gods. A White Salmon girl who had attend the old Holmes Business College in Portland, came in May or June, 1887, into the Balch home at Hood River and spent about three weeks typing it for him. He put it aside, only correcting passages in it now and then, while he worked on The Bridge of the Gods, which he started in August of that year. After the latter was published he again gave his eager attention to the older manuscript.

Writing to his sister from Oakland on November 23, 1890—two months after The Bridge of the Gods had come out—he said:

Almost every evening I put in at Genevieve revising and cutting down. Am getting it in very good shape, though you would be surprised at some of the sweeping changes I have