September 6, 1898. 



My dear DeanCfc— 



You may be quite sure that tt was only the old story of 

 lack of time for all the things that pressed upon rae , that prevented 

 mgr writing to you in full in regard to me prospective, and now actual, 

 move- to Chicago. The matter has been hanging fire for a long time., 

 simply awaiting the time when the University of Chicago was ready to de- 

 velop^ its botanical department more fully. It seems possible to start 

 that part this fall and So I find myself here trying to become oriented, 

 and to get a new home settled. It was no small trial to us to give 

 up our beautiful house and leave the ^a^ffo^surroundings in Madison 

 to take uf our abode in a c'tyy which can lay few claims to beauty, 

 except in its park system. We have taken a house only a few blocks 

 from The University and, although^ it is large J c cmpared with some others, 



it seems almost impossible to get into it the numerous things that have 

 accumulated in the course of our sojourn at Madison. We have been 

 trying to cover floors intended for carpets with rugs that are too 

 large for them and trying to stretch curtain poles that were too short 

 to span the windows and door-ways. Then too we have accumulated so 

 many books that it is quite impossible to find wall room for them in the 

 new house. For the last week we have been sweltering in a daily 

 temperature above 90 and have been able to do only a little work, just 

 enough to enable us to eat and sleep in the house. It will be weeks, 

 before we are fully settled. I feel sure, however, that it will be 

 more than tat before you come west to visit your Chicago relatives and 

 acquaintances, and I, therefore, do not hesitate to say that we shall 



