442 CORRESPONDENCE. [1858, 



June 21. 



About the museum. Ours is to be not economical 

 (except in the sense that it must not cost anything to 

 speak of) but for class illustration and botanical re- 

 search. So I want woods, fruits, seeds, etc., and must 

 keep all within narrow limits. All I could venture to 

 ask from you is that whenever your keeper or Dr. 

 Hooker should be throwing out duplicates to save 

 room, you would have some such things boxed up for 

 me. I should indeed like to go over to you, and select 

 for myself, as you and Dr, Hooker suggest. Joseph 

 suggests that I should be sent over by the university 

 for the purpose ! His whole idea is as magnificent as 

 my plan is humble. I fear I must always travel and 

 cross the ocean at my own charges. But the propo- 

 sition suggests to me that, when I am ready to revisit 

 England, this will be a good ground for asking leave 

 of absence without cutting off my pay. But there is 

 much to be done before I can leave home again, and 

 when I shall be ready and able to do so, if it please 

 Providence that I may be, I want two full years and 

 most of it at Kew. How I hope it may be done in 

 your day, and that I may receive your cordial greeting, 

 and find you as hale and as actively useful as ever. 

 But "Thornine propose," etc. We are delighted to 

 hear from Mrs. E. that you are well and strong 

 again. 



Boott kindly writes me of Brown by every mail ; by 

 the next arrival we must expect to hear that he is no 

 more. . . . 



Wherever Wright goes, you may rely upon the full- 

 est set of his gatherings, and we may expect they 

 will be better than formerly. For (what I never 

 thought he would have patience for) he has really 



