Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/461

 JET. 43.} TO DANIEL RICKETSON. 435

a severe cold about the 3d of December, which at length resulted in a kind of bronchitis, so that I have been confined to the house ever since, excepting a very few experimental trips as far as the post-office in some particularly fine noons. My health otherwise has not been affected in the least, nor my spirits. I have simply been imprisoned for so long, and it has not prevented my doing a good deal of reading and the like.

Channing has looked after me very faithfully ; says he has made a study of my case, and knows me better than I know myself, etc., etc. Of course, if I knew how it began, I should know better how it would end. I trust that when warm weather comes I shall begin to pick up my crumbs. I thank you for your invitation to come to New Bedford, and will bear it in mind ; but at present my health will not permit my leaving home.

The day I received your letter, Blake and Brown arrived here, having walked from Worces ter in two days, though Alcott, who happened in sbon after, could not understand what pleas ure they found in walking across the country in this season, when the ways were so unsettled. I had a solid talk with them for a day and a half though my pipes were not in good order and they went their way again.

You may be interested to hear that Alcott is