JET. 75.] TO J. D. HOOKER. 781 



having very anxious times, indeed. What a pity that 

 some one party, that is, one of the two great parties, 

 is not strong enough, and homogeneous enough, to 

 command the situation for the time being, and to 

 deal independently of Parnell, or, indeed, of Cham- 

 berlain. . . . 



We Americans are wonderfully peaceful our 

 only real questions now pending are financial, and 

 those not yet treated as they ought to be, on party 

 lines. We have an awful silver craze ; but we hope 

 to arrest it before it comes to the worst, though sense 

 and argument are at present ineffectual. 



We have a comfortable trust in the principle that 

 "Providence specially protects from harm the 

 drunken, the crazy, and the United States of 

 America." 



I see our friend Professor Thayer now and then. 

 He is well and flourishing. Mrs. Gray and I are 

 very well indeed, and we send our most cordial good 

 wishes to you all. 



Very sincerely yours, ASA GRAY. 



TO J. D. HOOKER. 



CAMBRIDGE, March 9, 1886. 



When I read A. de Candolle's notice of Boissier, I 

 thought it was " charming." Anyhow, it brought back 

 to me the charming memory of a very lovable man. 

 I dare say neither De Candolle nor I has done jus- 

 tice to Boissier 's work. I could only touch and go, - 

 make a picture that would just sketch the kind of 

 man he was. 



. . . Yes, I have got on Ranunculacese, and have 

 done up to and through Ranunculus, minus the Bu- 

 trachium set, of which happily we have few in North 



