-surrounding wrong, cruelty, and sensualism, is very
beautiful. It is one of the indications of the raging ultraism of the
time, that the calm wisdom and piety of such a man as Guizot should be
so little appreciated.

When I read such writers as this, I am rather frightened at my
undertaking; but I believe there is a great deal to be said to the
people that is not beyond me, and I shall modestly do what I can. I
began yesterday to study Hegel's "Philosophy of History," and though I
can read but a few pages a day, I believe I shall master it; and after
one gets through with his theory, I imagine, in looking at his topics
ahead, that I shall find matters that are intelligible and practical. I
am, as ever,

Yours,

ORVILLE DEWEY. To William Cullen Bryant, Esq.

SHEFFIELD, Feb. 25, 1850.

MY DEAR BRYANT,--You will remember, perhaps, our conversation when
you were last up here, about our Club [216] of the XXI. You know my
attachment to it. The loss of those pleasant meetings is indeed one of
the things I most regret in leaving the city. I cannot bear to forfeit
my place in that good company. In this feeling I am about to make a
proposition which I beg you will present for me, and that you will, as
my advocate, try to explain and show that it is not so enormous as at
first it may seem. I pray, then, my dear Magnus, [FN 1] that you will
turn your poetical genius to account by describing the beautiful ride up
the valley of the Housatonic, and this our beautiful Berkshire, and will
put in the statistical fact that it is but six hours and a half from New
York to Sheffield, [FN 2] and then will request the Club to meet at my
house some day in the coming summer. I name Wednesday, the 9th of June.
I propose that the proper Club-meeting be on the evening of that day.
The next day I propose that we shall spend among the mountains,-seeing
Bashpish, and, if possible, the Salisbury Lakes. And I will thank you,
as my faithful solicitor, that, if you are obliged of your knowledge
to confess to the fact of my very humble housekeeping, you will also
courageously maintain that with the aid of my friends I can make our
brethren as comfortable as people expect to be on a frolicking bout, and
that I can easily get good country wagons to take them on a jaunt among
the mountains. You will tell me, I hope, how my proposition is received;
and by received, I do not mean any vote or resolution, but whether the
gentlemen seem to think it would be