. 67.] TO R. W. CHURCH. 679 



fornia in green attire. Not that we are not interested 

 and taken with the sere aspect of these western re- 

 gions in summer, which we fancy more than Hooker 

 does. In fact, the greenness of England is so con- 

 genial to him that he took more delight in our eastern 

 States, which he had mere glimpses of, than in all the 

 wide western region, though of course there was more 

 to learn in these. 



How I wish you could have been of the party ! We 

 dream of doing some parts again, and of going both 

 farther south and north, three years hence. You and 

 Sir Joseph would not then be too old. But I can 

 hardly expect then to be, as last summer, one of the 

 most active and frisky members of the party. 



Moreover, the cost in time is more than one counts 

 on. From the middle of July to the end of Septem- 

 ber, one may, once in a way, fairly devote to holiday- 

 ing. But then, after a week or two of work with 

 Hooker over our notes and collections, I had to bring 

 up long arrears, which I should have kept in hand if 

 I had stayed at home, and so I have only now of late 

 come to take up my regular work where I left it in 

 July. 



If you do not hear enough of our summer's doings 

 from Hooker, - - and I know he must be busy indeed, 

 we must get Mrs. Gray to write a narrative ; not 

 that she is not also a busy soul. 



All this time you have had anxious events to occupy 

 your minds, and these are not yet over. But at home 

 you are happy in the recovering health of your daugh- 

 ter after so long suffering. 



We had our usual Christmas gathering last even- 

 ing, and the house is only now set to rights again. 

 Your old friends Miss P. and K. L. were with us, and 



