Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/204

 180 GOLDEN AGE OF ACHIEVEMENT. [1848,

while, and without disturbing its possible future value.

I read a part of the story of my excursion to Ktaadn to quite a large audience of men and boys, the other night, whom it interested. It contains many facts and some poetry. I have also written what will do for a lecture on &quot; Friendship.&quot;

I think that the article on you in Blackwood s is a good deal to get from the reviewers, the first purely literary notice, as I remember. The writer is far enough off, in every sense, to speak with a certain authority. It is a better judg ment of posterity than the public had. It is singular how sure he is to be mystified by any uncommon sense. But it was generous to put Plato into the list of mystics. His confessions on this subject suggest several thoughts, which I have not room to express here. The old word seer, I wonder what the reviewer thinks that means ; whether that he was a man who could see more than himself.

I was struck by Ellen s asking me, yesterday, while I was talking with Mrs. Brown, if I did not use &quot; colored words.&quot; She said that she could tell the color of a great many words, and amused the children at school by so doing. Eddy climbed up the sofa, the other day, of his own accord, and kissed the picture of his father, &quot; right on his shirt, I did.&quot;