
          reply to your communication, he would say nothing favorable. [crossed out: He is]
 As soon as I learned that you had written to James I felt sure that
 he would try to injure me , and also that you would believe what he
 said, so that it was no news to learn that [crossed out: your] I had lost your good
 opinion, [crossed out: I] and as I [crossed out: illegible] feel that in writing that letter to you
 no insult was intended but every feeling for respect was cherished
 and have yet to be convinced [crossed out: as shown] of the impropriety of that
 request, I believe you are unjustly offended. I believe this is a
 correct analysis of this feeling of apathy which I at present
 cherish [crossed out: illegible] when I think of having incurred your displeasure. 
 We do not care for the displeasure of one who is to us a comparative
 stranger if we both believe and feel that he is unjustly displeased.


 I am also in that dark as to whether you have heard of
 my transaction with the Curators of the Herbarium at the
 Academy. "Men see a little, presume a great deal more, and so jump
 to a conclusion." I believe Locke somewhere says. It is more
 than probable that you have heard of that matter, and as you
 have formed your own opinion, [crossed out: it is] you will not alter it, and
 anything that the accused can say [crossed out: against his] will be
 as a feather, will not weigh with you. Or am I to regard
 you despite of the unfavorable reports that you have heard as having
 one lingering spark of feeling left in you heart for me. You
 will hear what I have to say. Then, my pen shall write nothing
 but the truth, for [crossed out: illegible] [above line: to] you surely I may freely and candidly
 tell all.


 It is about 3 weeks since I held conversation with Dr. 
 [Bridges?], one of the Curators about an event which occurred more
 than a year ago, and of which I feel certain he never wishes to
 be reminded again, and he told truly and candidly, what the opinion
 of the Curators really was. I will give you that opinion, the circumstances 
 which led them to adopt it, and then my own defence [defense]
 and just reason for feeling myself to have been most unjustly and
 cruelly injured.


 The opinion of the Curators is that [crossed out: illegible] having been privileged to
 examine the herbarium, I removed from its plants without their permission; 
 that on being told of my fault, I returned part but not the
 whole of them. The number removed is not known, it may have been
 large, it may have been small.


 [continues with cross writing] N.B. Dr. Torrey you are correct in you opinion about Buschbaumia Aphylla. I have found it in 3 places
 near Lima Delaware County in good fruit in January and do not consider it scarce.
        