
          Renssalaer School, Troy, April 23d. 1824

Dear friend,

I received your package soon
after I wrote you. But I now write 
to tell you some odd things about it.

On opening the package I found
an enclosed package; but as it had 
nothing written upon it, my attention
was not called to its being in a distinct 
wrapper. I found it contained several species
of carex in what appeared to be proof-sheet
waste paper, such as I have often
used. The [caries?] were put into my herbarium
and the paper thrown into a
box in the front cellar, which is
our mineral ware room, to wrap
up minerals. Here I throw all waste
paper.

I have a daughter 9 years old, who
cuts out poetry [added: from newspapers] and pastes in a
blank book. While at this work in
the cellar, she found there latin sheets,
and brought them to me. I soon

        