
          much greater scholar than he, and who hears the 
 boys recitations in Greek and Geometry at the ironing-
 board, while she is smoothing their shirts and jackets! 
 reads German authors while she is stirring her 
 pudding, and has a Hebrew book before her when 
 knitting. (? netting). There's nothing like down East for 
 learned women. Why, even the factory-girls at Lowell edit 
 entirely a magazine which an excellent judge told me 
 has many better-written articles than the North American 
 Review. Some of them, having fitted their brothers for College at 
 home, come to Lowell to earn money enough to send them 
 through!! Vive les femmes. There will be no use 
 for men in this region, presently. Even my own occupation 
 may soon be gone; for I am told that 
 Mrs. Ripley (the learned lady aforesaid) (of Salem) is the 
 best botanist of the country round. But the mail is 
 about to close, this nasty steel pen refuses to write,
 dinner is ready, and so with love to all, I subscribe 
 myself, Yours most affectionately,


 A. [Asa] Gray


 Copied  Gels [Gertrude] Britton, Cambridge May 2d 1888. Original
 sent to Mrs. Gray.
        