7. 70.] TO MISS A. A. GRAY. 711 
have poured in, that is, what am I to present to my- 
self in your name, and keep as a souvenir, — that is 
the question which is exercising my mind. It must 
be something personal to sigue and I am not much 
given to personal adornment, and have few personal 
wants beyond daily food and clothing, of which I 
always say that “the old is better.” But I have got 
an idea, — which I will not put on paper yet, because 
I may change my mind and not carry it out. You 
shall see in time. 
“ Aunt J.” and I are having a nice time here in 
Paris, in spite of the short and dark days. But we 
have been very, very busy, each in our way, and now 
and then busy in company, as we have been to-day. 
And then at evening we come back to our little room, 
and have the nicest little dinner together in the little 
salle-a-manger of our little nice hotel; or rarely we 
go out, but never to fare better; and we have been 
invited to three dinner parties, each notable and enjoy- 
able in its way. And now I have to-morrow one 
more day of botanical work, and then we expect to go 
back on Monday to Kew, and to the lodgings which 
we occupied a dozen years ago. You can write to 
your aunty directly there : Ms Shepherd’s, ‘* Charl- 
ton House,” Kew. Don’t suppose that because it has 
a name, the house is a grand one. Nota bit of it. 
But in England, houses, like babies, have names given 
them when they are little. 
Good-by. With dear love to all, along with thanks, 
am Your affectionate 
ASA GRay. 
