Margaret Mitchell's Lost 50 (Confederate) Dollars

Quick and last post of the Margaret Mitchell letters series, for tomorrow we have something different for you. Keeping in line with the modesty/self deprecation theme (hmm... want to know exactly what she's doing? Here it is. I knew there oughta be a German word for that! ) we bring you a letter from October 22, 1936, addressed to Herschel Brickell. Brickell had just written an article for the New York Evening Post, discussing among other thing the possibility of Gone with the Wind's sales reaching one million copies before 1936 was over (the millionth copy was printed on December 15th), and this was Margaret Mitchell's reply:

"Dear Herschel:

"No, I will not bet you on any figures for "Gone With the Wind." You got me licked on it. However, I will bet you $50.00 (Confederate) with the poem "Lines on the Back of a Confederate Note" upon it that I do not win the Pulitzer prize. I think I am very safe in making this bet. I do not think I am safe in making any bets on sales. I am completely floored by what has happened..."

--excerpted from Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone with the Wind Letters edited by R. Harwell.

This post is part of our series A Week in August: The Margaret Mitchell Tribute. Be sure to check out the other posts (here and here) and leave your comments either here or on the Margaret Mitchell thread.