
          gay, but visit a little. My wife plays, very
 well, on the piano, & this is a great pleasure
 to me, when, as commonly happens, we spend our
 Evenings, at home. For the past 2 months we have
 had my son & his wife & child living with us-- so
 that we now constitute quite a family, & are
 very happy together. Think of my grand-child
 being 2 years older than her newly-born Aunt!
 Is it not funny? as well as unusual. They are
 going to spend a long time on the Continent---
 3 or 4 years,-- & will leave us in a month
 or so. I fear we shall miss them much,
 but, they purpose returning to spend a year
 in England, before quitting Europe, finally.
 By another strange chance, my old friend
 John Kingsford (of Staten [added: Island] is in England) with his
 wife & family, & they are stopping at a Hotel
 quite close to my house, so that we see him
 frequently, but Mrs. K. is very recently confined.
 As to Botany-- Eheu! I think I might still know
 a Carex from a Festuca, but whether from a Cyperus,
 I scarcely know. However, I have got my
 Cabinets in England, & they are now nicely arranged
 in my (pet) breakfast-parlour. Whether I shall
 ever work again, I know not, but I always allow
 myself at least hope so. I have to thank you
 for your paper, which I received with much
 pleasure-- & I am also in debt to Dr. [Asa] Gray, to
 whom I purpose writing, by this mail. I have
 not seen Hooker, nor [Robert] Brown (now turned of 
 81!) since my return home, & I fear that my
        