358 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



Nice, France, January 7j, iS^g. 



Dear Father and Mother : . . . To-day has been 

 very fine. I had a long walk in the morning, and another 

 this afternoon. Mr. Spencer went off by rail to Mentone 

 to-day to reconnoitre for a place, as we propose not to 

 jump in again so suddenly. I took advantage of his ab- 

 sence to write an editorial, which I mail to Jay to-day. I 

 shall try and squeeze out another in time for the March 

 Monthly. . . . 



Mentone, January 27, iSyg. 



Dear Sister : , . . I have not seen a paper from the 

 United States these three weeks, and am therefore in the 

 dark as to weather there — as well as everything else. But 

 perhaps it is best; as, if there were home news, I should 

 inevitably be reading it, and my eyes are very bad. Spen- 

 cer doctors them often and vigorously, but the muscular 

 tone is low, and is kept so low by the depressing weather 

 that congestion continues. If the weather should clear up 

 I think it would find me better. I use my eyes the least 

 possible, and read but very little. Nor do I write much, 

 but jot down various things. If we could have bright, ex- 

 hilarating weather, I should be able to get some things in 

 shape soon to use. Since Spencer has commenced working 

 with my eyes and begins really to find out in how bad a 

 state the left eye is, he is very vehement against my read- 

 ing at all, or even writing. He says: "I never saw a per- 

 son subject to such changes of aspect; sometimes your 

 face looks coloured and healthy, and at other times pale, 

 flabby, and haggard ; and from what I can see it is reading 

 that makes the change. It is clear to me that you will have 

 to stop writing and go to lecturing." — At this point he 

 came, and we had an hour and a half of digging through 

 the mud. 



As for leaving, I am ready and anxious, but Spencer re- 

 sists it, saying he is not coming down here for nothing. 



