352 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME. [1848, 



cool region that, and dry. If these come from the 

 plains, what will the mountains yield ? Fendler must 

 go back, or a new collector, now that order is restored 

 there. 



All Fendler's collection will sell at once, no fear, 

 such fine specimens and so many good plants. Pity 

 that F. did not know enough to leave out some of the 

 common plants, except two or three specimens for us, 

 and bestow the same labor on the new plants around 

 him. 



Send on the rest soon. 



Yours cordially, A. GRAY. 



TO CHARLES WRIGHT. 



CAMBRIDGE, January 17, 1848. 



DEAR FRIEND, That I ought to have replied to 

 your letter of the 19th November, to say nothing of 

 that of September 21 and June 18, there is no doubt. 

 The letter I have carried in my pocket a good while, 

 hoping to catch a moment somewhere and some time 

 to write to you, especially as the time approaches in 

 which I may be sending a parcel to New Orleans for 

 you. But I have not had an hour's leisure not de- 

 manded by letters of immediate pressing consequence, 

 or in which I was not too tired to write. 



There are many correspondents whom I have 

 neglected almost as much as I have you. I have 

 worked like a dog, but my work laid out to be finished 

 last July is not done yet. 



But from about the time of your last letter a provi- 

 dential dispensation has prevented me from doing 

 what I would, namely, the sickness, by typhoid fever, 

 of a beloved brother (a Junior in college here), who 

 required every leisure moment from the time he be- 



