^T. 53.] TO CHARLES WRIGHT. 517 



country will prosper wonderfully. And the South 



will get to be something. 



December 1. 

 Things move on. 



" The mills of the Gods grind slow, but they grind 

 exceeding fine." Wait in Cuba a year longer, and 

 you may return to a country in which slavery, having 

 tried to get more, has lost all, and as a system is 

 defunct, to the lasting benefit of all parties. 



You might now revisit your old Texan haunts, 

 under General Banks's protection. 



The November elections show a united North. 

 Peace democracy has made its issue, and is dead. 

 The reelection of Lincoln by acclamation seems prob- 

 able, supported by moderate men of all sorts, the ex- 

 tremes of the opposing parties alone going against 

 him. . . . 



Merry Christmas to you. 



January 21, 1864. 



By the steamer of Saturday, which takes this, a 

 good young fellow, Mr. Kennedy, a member of our 

 Senior class, goes to Cuba, to look after business of 

 his father, and, when he can, to botanize, only four or 

 five weeks, that is, in vacation. He is very fond of 

 botany, and bids fair to be a botanist some day, if he 

 does not take to money-making instead. . . . 



This war, we think, will be pretty much over next 

 summer ; and then, back in the Union, with slavery 

 pretty much nowhere, by the hearty wish of a ma- 

 jority of the people, we may expect a career of pros- 

 perity and real advance of the South, such as it has 

 never known. At least we hope so. 



