42 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



ulation are so unfortunate as to have no refuge for 

 the holidays in the country, they can scarcely go 

 through the streets in safety for the firing of crackers, 

 the shooting of pistols, playing with fire balls, and 

 other mad pranks of the negroes. 



It is odd that just when you wrote to me to read 

 Carlyle's life of Sterling, I was deeply interested in 

 another life of him by Hare, which you must try to 

 get now that you have finished the other, and which 

 includes a large selection from his writings. The two 

 lives will go well together, and I mean to get Carlyle's, 

 who was induced to write his, as explanatory of 

 Hare's, who though most friendly to Sterling, is a 

 tremendous churchman and represents every intel- 

 lectual process in his friend's religious views after his 

 health obliged him to leave the active ministry of the 

 church, as a sinful and much lamented fall, to be 

 spoken of, however, with pity rather than condem- 

 nation. His language with respect to these spiritual 

 errors, is so ambiguous that one is almost in doubt 

 whether Sterling had really committed some crime, 

 or merely learned to differ from Hare's religious views. 

 I hope you will read it, if you have not already com- 

 menced it. 



Sullivan 9 s Island, January % [1852] 

 I SHOULD have answered your letter, which was so 

 very welcome, earlier, but I wanted to write from 

 our new home, and have been waiting till we should 

 enter upon the honors and responsibilities of house- 

 keeping. 



