
          Cambridge, Jany [January] 3rd 1843.


 My Dear Friend


 Your letter, truly welcome after so 
 long an interval, reached me yesterday. I should have 
 been very glad to have been with you during the holidays, 
 but cannot think of leaving before I finish these 
 interminable Compositae. I hoped to have 
 accomplished this on Saturday last, all but
 taking up some dropped stitches; but was a good deal 
 interrupted last week.  Among other things I had
 to revise a translation made by some ladyfriend
 of Mr. Emerson, of an eulogy &c. of De Candolle, by
 Martins, in an address before the Bot. [Botanical] Soc. [Society] of Ratisbon.
 The lady, not being much acquainted with the
 subject-matter, had left the translation imperfect
 in some places, and altogether too stiff, and German.
 I have hastily overhauled it, and sent it on to 
 Silliman for the leading article in the next
 number. Except for a slight pantheistic-transcendental
 view in it, it [crossed out: will][added: would] be a very pleaant & pretty article.


 My plan is to come on as soon as I have finished the
 Compositae, say the middle of next week, make a
 hasty run to Philada [Philadelphia] to straighten some crooked points,
 set the printer going rapidly, and remain in New York
 until it is at least well under weigh [way]. In the mean
 time we (that is to say you, if you can) must 
 cook up the Lobeliaceae & Campanulaceae, & with them
 the no. [number] must stop, the wanting quantity of pages to be 

        