&Y. 75.) TO J. D. HOOKER. 781 
having very anxious times, indeed. What a pity that 
some one party, that is, one of the two great parties, 
is not strong enough, and homogeneous enough, to 
command the situation for the time being, and to 
deal independently of Parnell, or, indeed, of Cham- 
berlain. . . . 
We Americans are wonderfully peaceful — our 
only real questions now pending are financial, and 
those not yet treated as they ought to be, on party 
lines. We have an awful silver craze ; but we hope 
to arrest it before it comes to the worst, though sense 
and argument are at present ineffectual. 
We have a comfortable trust in the principle that 
“Providence specially protects from harm the 
drunken, the crazy, and the United States of 
America.” 
I see our friend Professor Thayer now and then. 
He is well and flourishing. Mrs. Gray and I are 
very well indeed, and we send our most cordial good 
wishes to you all. 
Very sincerely yours, Asa Gray. 
TO J. D. HOOKER. 
CamBRiIDGE, March 9, 1886. 
When I read A. de Candolle’s notice of Boissier, I 
thought it was “ charming.” Anyhow, it brought back 
to me the charming memory of a very lovable man. 
I dare say neither De Candolle nor I has done jus- 
tice to Boissier’s work. I could only touch and go, — 
make a picture that would just sketch the kind of 
man he w: 
. Yes, I have got on Ranunculacee, and have 
done up to and through Ranunculus, minus the Ba- 
trachium set, of which happily we have few in North 
