Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/422

 396 FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS. [1858,

in Mr. Arnold s garden (the gardener will sup ply the true names) ; and also if the foliage of any (and what) European or foreign trees there have been brilliant the past month. If you will do this you will greatly oblige me. I return the newspaper with this.

TO DANIEL RICKETSON (AT NEW BEDFORD).

CONCORD, November 28, 1858.

FRIEND RICKETSON, I thank you for your &quot; History.&quot; 1 Though I have not yet read it again, I have looked far enough to see that I like the homeliness of it ; that is, the good, old- fashioned way of writing, as if you actually lived where you wrote. A man s interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town. It is also a considerable advantage to be able to say at any time, &quot; If R. is not here, here is his book.&quot; Alcott being here, and inquiring after you (whom he has been expecting), I lent the book to him almost immediately. He talks of going West the latter part of this week. Channing is here again, as I am told, but I have not seen him.

I thank you also for the account of the trees.

1 Of New Bedford, first published in the Mercury of that city, while Channing was one of the editors, and afterwards in a volume.