1850 TO 1865 315 
From S. F. Baird to John Cassin. 
Dec. 25th, 1853. 
My pear JoHN Cassin:— 
The box of pickles came yesterday by Adams Express, and I 
jumped at a conclusion, fully borne (out) by your letter which arrived 
this morning. In the spirit of the letter which (shall I confess it) 
caused my eyes to fill up a little at each oft-repeated perusal, I sit 
down now on this lovely Christmas morning, with the church bells 
ringing around me, to reciprocate all the good wishes and kind feelings 
just expressed by you. It is a long while now, John, “‘since we were 
first acquaint,” not longer though IJ trust than we shall be again. 
Many years have elapsed since Sam Woodhouse took me down to the 
little house, ever so far off, to see a friend of his “‘who had a fine 
collection of birds.”’ I little thought that visit would lay the founda- 
tion of the warmest friendship I ever formed. Since then I shall 
never lose the memory, John, of the day when, with my slender purse 
and ardent thirst for knowledge, you helped me to satisfy the neces- 
sities and incongruities of both by the pleasant fiction of sending me 
at your expense to make some notes and observations for you in the 
Eastern Libraries,—or by the loan of books & of house and home— 
and by a thousand other kindnesses, little and big. 
Well, I shan’t forget them or you very soon, that is certain. 
With kindest remembrances to Mrs. Cassin and all yours, in 
which Mrs. Baird joins, I shall remain, 
Ever yours, 
S. F. Barrp. 
From S. F. Baird to George P. Marsh, Rome, Italy. 
WasuHIncToN, February 4, 1854. 
My very DEAR Mr. Marsy:— 
I received a few days ago through the kind mediation of our 
uncle Marcy, your good letters of December 12-16, and have read 
and re-read them with increasing interest, each perusal revealing 
some new item previously unnoticed, or correcting some former read- 
ing. Gilliss and I had a long consultation the other day over our 
letters, and were fairly beaten at one paragraph about Mary, which 
I read as being a “pious fish-woman,”’ but which we finally concluded 
to be the “precious penwoman”’ both perhaps applying well, the 
