. 70.] TO MISS A. A. GRAY. 711 



have poured in, that is, what am I to present to my- 

 self in your name, and keep as a souvenir, that is 

 the question which is exercising my mind. It must 

 be something personal to myself, and I am not much 

 given to personal adornment, and have few personal 

 wants beyond daily food and clothing, of which I 

 always say that " the old is better." But I have got 

 an idea, which I will not put on paper yet, because 

 I may change my mind and not carry it out. You 

 shall see in time. 



" Aunt J." and I are having a nice time here in 

 Paris, in spite of the short and dark days. But we 

 have been very, very busy, each in our way, and now 

 and then busy in company, as we have been to-day. 

 And then at evening we come back to our little room, 

 and have the nicest little dinner together in the little 

 salle-a-mang er of our little nice hotel ; or rarely we 

 go out, but never to fare better ; and we have been 

 invited to three dinner parties, each notable and enjoy- 

 able in its way. And now I have to-morrow one 

 more day of botanical work, and then we expect to go 

 back on Monday to Kew, and to the lodgings which 

 we occupied a dozen years ago. You can write to 

 your aunty directly there : Mrs. Shepherd's, " Charl- 

 ton House," Kew. Don't suppose that because it has 

 a name, the house is a grand one. Not a bit of it. 

 But in England, houses, like babies, have names given 

 them when they are little. 



Good-by. With dear love to all, along with thanks, 

 I am Your affectionate 



ASA GRAY. 



