To say that I was shocked and grieved to hear such news of you, is useless indeed; you will feel how I have felt about it.

May God bless and restore you, and make me very thankful, as certainly I must be in such a case....
The comfort to me in your letter is the apparent good spirits you write in, and the cheerful, active intentions you have of work for the delight of us all.

I clap my hands, and welcome the new volumes.

Dearest friend, I do wish I had heard about the French poetry in Paris, for there I could have got at books and answered some of your questions.

The truth is, I don't know as much about French modern poetry as I ought to do in the way of _metier_.