. 75.] TO J. D. HOOKER. 787 



quite alone. Goodale took off Sereno Watson with 

 him, on a slow steamer to Amsterdam ; will run for 

 a fortnight or so over nearer parts of the Continent, 

 and Watson will look in at Kew. He was much 

 worn down, and the rest and change will be good for 

 him. I have filled my sheet with this gossip. 



It was during this visit that Dr. Gray, when the 

 family gathered one morning for breakfast, had dis- 

 appeared. He came in smiling when the meal was 

 half over, and in answer to the anxious question 

 where he had been, said, " Oh, I have been to say to 

 Mrs. Rogers that I forgave her for getting above me 

 in the spelling-class." 



CAMBRIDGE, October 31, 1886. 



DEAR HOOKER, Thanks for a nice long letter 

 from Bournemouth, September 27. Thanks, too, for 

 the hope - - though rather dim that you and wife 

 may come over to us in the spring. Before winter is 

 over we must arrange some programme ; for we four 

 must meet again somehow and somewhere, while in 

 the land of the living. But how is a problem. 



... I see how difficult it must be for you to get 

 away as far as to us. Our obstacle to any amount of 

 strolling away is mainly the fear that if I interrupt 

 my steady work on the " Flora of North America," I 

 may not get back to it again, or have the present zeal 

 and ability for prosecuting it. 



On the other hand, if I and my wife do not get 

 some playdaj^s now, while we can enjoy them, the 

 time will soon come when we shall have to say that we 

 have no pleasure in them. Therefore we are in sore 

 straits. ... If really you cannot come, then we will 



