530 LETTERS TO DARWIN AND OTHERS. [1865, 



And now, I turn to your letter of September 29, 

 and ask your pardon for having so long neglected it. 

 Your letters, your reflections upon social and political, 

 as well as upon scientific questions, are always very 

 interesting and instructive to me. I regret that I can 

 render so little return in kind. . . . 



As to our national troubles, the prospect brightens 

 that we shall end the rebellion and slavery before 

 long. God grant it. 



Believe me to be, as ever, my dear De Candolle, 

 very faithfully yours, A. GRAY. 



TO GEORGE EXGELMANN. 



February 14, 1865. 



. . . Wright is here, distributing and finishing up 

 his North Pacific Expedition Collection ; . . . will re- 

 turn to Cuba in a month or two, to take a year or two 

 more there, revisit some old parts and explore some 

 new; then I urge Hayti, but Wright seems rather 

 loth. 



Rothrock from northwestern Pennsylvania is 

 a bright lively pupil of mine for last three or four 

 years, when not serving his country in the army, 

 where he has done good service as private in infantry, 

 and as captain in Pennsylvania cavalry, etc. He had 

 to leave his thesis partly unfinished. But the real 

 credit of all belongs to him. His father is M. D., and 

 he is now studying medicine, attending lectures at 

 Philadelphia. But botany is in him, and will prob- 

 ably come out. . . . 



There, I believe this is about all. J. A. Lowell has 

 made a nice present of costly botanical books, of which 

 more anon. 



