
          I had a letter from [Asa] Gray yesterday. He has bought
 for me-- at the Sale of poor [William] Oakes' library-- his
 C. Chevalier Microscope, with 6 doublets for $17, & his
 Copy of Endlich. Gen. [Stephan Endlicher's Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita] with the 2 Sup'ts [Supplements] for $5. The
 last is extremely low, but Gray says that, upon the
 whole, the sale was a very good one for the Estate,
 which I am glad to hear. I commissioned him to
 bid $20 for the first 12 vols. of DC. Prod. [De Candolle's Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis] (in boards)
 but they sold for 24.50 , and as he truly says, it does
 not follow that, even if he had exceeded my commission,
 & bid $25, that he should have got them. 


 I was sorry to learn that poor Mrs. G. [Jane Loring Gray] was
 again indesposed, though the Doctor hoped that she
 had only been living a little too fast at Boston.
 G. [Asa Gray] himself, it seems, has been living very thick
 indeed, lately, as Harvey had been feted extensively,
 & sundry good dinners have also been given
 to "Cousin John" (Cunningham) on the announcement
  of his emgagement to a certain "charming"
 Miss Haskell. [William Henry] Harvey is to be here early
 next week & brings with his your Vesicar'ae [Vesicariae?]
 at which I shall wish to take a peep before
 they go home. I thought of you very much, 
 yesterday, & of your happy reunion. I know
 that it is my own fault that I was not with you,
 but I am out-of-sorts, & very low in spirits, & 
 should have made dismally bad company.
        