Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/489

 JET. 44.] TO MYRON B. BENTON. 463

whether of business or courtesy, would not ex cuse him from an answer, which was this :

TO MYRON B. BENTON (AT LEEDSVILLE, N. Y.). CONCOKD, March 21, 1862.

DEAR SIR, I thank you for your very kind letter, which, ever since I received it, I have in tended to answer before I died, however briefly. I am encouraged to know, that, so far as you are concerned, I have not written my books in vain. I was particularly gratified, some years ago, when one of my friends and neighbors said, &quot; I wish you would write another book, write it for me.&quot; He is actually more familiar with what I have written than I am myself.

The verses you refer to in Con way s &quot; Dial,&quot; were written by F. B. Sanborn of this town. I never wrote for that journal.

I am pleased when you say that in &quot;The Week &quot; you like especially &quot; those little snatches of poetry interspersed through the book,&quot; for these, I suppose, are the least attractive to most readers. I have not been engaged in any par ticular work, on Botany, or the like, though, if I were to live, I should have much to report on Natural History generally.

You ask particularly after my health. I sup pose that I have not many months to live ; but, of course, I know nothing about it. I may add