divided into two periods,--the hours of taking food, and the
intervals between them,--or, technically, into the _alimentary_ and the
_non-alimentary_ portions of existence. Now our social being is so
intensified during the first of these periods, that whoso should write
the history of a man's breakfasts or dinners or suppers would give a
perfect picture of his most important social qualities, conditions, and
actions, and might omit the non-alimentary portion of his life
altogether from consideration. Thus I trust that the breakfasts of which
you have had some records have given you a pretty clear idea, not only
of myself, but of those more interesting friends and fellow-boarders of
mine to whom I have introduced you, and with some of whom, in company
with certain new acquaintances, my friend the Professor will keep you in
relation during the following year. So you see that over the new
table-cloth which is going to be spread there may very possibly be a new
drama of life enacted; but all that, if it should be so, is incidental
and by the way;--for what the Professor wishes particularly to do, and
means to do, is to talk about life and men and things and books and
thoughts; but if there should be anything better than talk occurring
before his eyes, either at the small world of the breakfast-table or in
the greater world without, he holds himself at liberty to relate it or
discourse upon it.

I suppose the Professor will receive a good many letters, as I did,
containing suggestions, counsel, and articles in prose and verse for
publication. He desires me to state that he is very happy to hear from
known and unknown friends, provided they will not mistake him for an
editor, and will not be offended if their communications are not made
the subject of individual notice. There may be times when, having
nothing to say, he will be very glad to print somebody's note or copy of
verses; I don't think it very likely; for life, is short, and the world
is brimful, and rammed down hard, with strange things worth seeing and
telling, and Mr. Worcester's great Quarto Dictionary is soon coming out,
crammed with all manner of words to talk with,--so that the Professor
will probably find little room, except for an answer to a question now
and then, or the acknowledgment of some hint he may have thought worth
taking.

* * * * *

--The speaker shut himself off like a gas-burner at this point, and the
company s