206 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



shall stick right to it till I finish it.. I am going to review 

 Spencer's Philosophy generally, First Principles and Bio- 

 logy, making as taking and impressive an article as I can. 

 I want to complete it at the earliest possible moment, to 

 get it through all the Tribune editions. Sam May sends 

 me the names of all the Boston clergy to help. Poor soul ! 



April i8th. 



DEAR SISTER : I have an envelope directed to you. I 

 may as well fill it. As for Philamadelphiana, I have been 

 in that interesting and religious town and have come away 

 no richer but much wiser than I went. They have been 

 Chauncey Wrighted. He is a relation, I think, of the set 

 into which I fell; and they coolly assured me that I would 

 find it worse in Boston, for Spencer was hated there. I go 



to Boston to-night to try. 



NEW YORK, April, 1866. 



MY DEAR SPENCER : I send you the daily Tribune con- 

 taining my article, which will also appear in the larger 

 weekly and semiweekly editions of that journal. There 

 is no other paper in the country whose opinion of books 

 has equal weight with that of the Tribune, and none also 

 which is so widely taken by the editors. We know how 

 utterly indiscriminating and stupid newspaper notices of 

 works like yours usually are, and I felt it to be important 

 that something should be done, however slight, to help 

 these gentlemen of the quill. The notice I have written is, 

 I know, very imperfect and totally inadequate^to the sub- 

 ject. I am conscious of my own utter incompetence to do 

 justice to the subject, but if I had been less disturbed, and 

 had had any opportunity for quiet thought, it might have 

 been better. Still, there is evidence that the article is some- 

 what suited to its purpose. I may add that the closing re- 

 marks are not mere empty talk, as I trust time will show. 

 You are doing great work in this country, and have friends 

 who very thoroughly appreciate it. 



