Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/149

 SIT. 26.] TO MRS. THOREAU. 125

for the slowness and poverty of the &quot; Reviews &quot; themselveSo I have tried sundry methods of earning money in the city, of late, but without success : have rambled into every bookseller s or publisher s house, and discussed their affairs with them. Some propose to me to do what an honest man cannot. Among others I conversed with the Harpers to see if they might not find me useful to them ; but they say that they are making $50,000 annually, and their motto is to let well alone. I find that I talk with these poor men as if I were over head and ears in business, and a few thousands were no consider ation with me. I almost reproach myself for bothering them so to no purpose ; but it is a very valuable experience, and the best introduc tion I could have.

We have had a tremendous rain here last Monday night and Tuesday morning. I was in the city at Giles &quot;Waldo s, and the streets at daybreak were absolutely impassable for the water. Yet the accounts of the storm that you may have seen are exaggerated, as indeed are all such things, to my imagination. On Sunday I heard Mr. Bellows preach here on the island ; but the fine prospect over the Bay and Narrows, from where I sat, preached louder than he, though he did far better than the average, if I remember aright. I should have liked to see