242 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



came yesterday. I have not received those going before. 

 If they have been sent and miscarried, you will have to 

 copy or make them over. Let me know about it. You will 

 have to be patient with this long delay. I am doing the 

 very best I can. You won't require much imagination to 

 understand that in the midst of this breaking up there is 

 little opportunity for quiet and contained thought. I am 

 hourly and semi-hourly disturbed. Have been bothered to 

 death to get a man to make our boxes; have at last found 

 a fool who can put them together, but I shall have to do 

 all the packing myself. The last chapter of the book is to 

 be the most important one. It will be quite a new feature, 

 and I wish to make it the card of the work. It is the most 

 difficult thing I ever attempted, and I have to do it many 

 times over. I guess I have broken up and restated the 

 first section already ten times. I shall hurry it along as 

 fast as possible consistent with doing it right, which is the 

 first thing to be considered, for the success of the book is 

 in question, and it is a matter of ten years' interest with no 

 further trouble when done. I have not touched my lec- 

 ture, nor shall I till this job is finished. 



Early in 1868 the Physiology and Hygiene of Prof. 

 Huxley and Dr. William Jay Youmans was published. 

 The following letter alludes to this and to the text- 

 book of Botany which Miss Youmans was preparing : 



SARATOGA, March j, 1868. 



MY DEAR SISTER: You will be glad to know that the 

 Physiology has been warmly commended by Dr. Austin 

 Flint, who has written Mr. W. H. Appleton a note about it. 

 The only fault he finds is with the illustrations, which he 

 does not consider up to the times. Earle mentions that 

 you have had a little trial trip with the Botany, which 

 proved satisfactory. I was glad to hear it. There rests 

 no doubt in my mind that it is a very big thing education- 



