Affectionately yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. C. Macready.]

OFFICE OF "ALL THE YEAR ROUND,"
_Wednesday, March 1st, 1865._

MY DEAREST MACREADY,

I have been laid up here with a frost-bitten foot (from hard walking in
the snow), or you would have heard from me sooner.

My reply to Professor Agassiz is short, but conclusive. Daily seeing
improper uses made of confidential letters in the addressing of them to
a public audience that have no business with them, I made not long ago a
great fire in my field at Gad's Hill, and burnt every letter I
possessed. And now I always destroy every letter I receive not on
absolute business, and my mind is so far at ease. Poor dear Felton's
letters went up into the air with the rest, or his highly distinguished
representative should have had them most willingly.

We never fail to drink old P.'s health on his birthday, or to make him
the subject of a thousand loving remembrances. With best love to Mrs.
Macready and Katie,

Ever, my dearest Macready,
Your most affectionate Friend.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. C. Macready.]

16, SOMER'S PLACE, HYDE PARK,
_Saturday Night, April 22nd, 1865._

MY DEAREST MACREADY,

A thousand thanks for your kind letter, most heartily welcome.

My frost-bitten foot, after causing me great inconvenience and much
pain, has begun to conduct itself amiably. I can now again walk my ten
miles in the morning without inconvenience, but am absurdly obliged to
sit shoeless all the evening--a very slight penalty, as I detest going
out to dinner (which killed the original old Parr by-the-bye).

I am working like a dragon at my book, and am a terror to the household,
likewise to all the organs and brass bands in this quarter. Gad's Hill
is being gorgeously painted, and we are here until the 1st of June. I
wish I might hope you would be there any time this summer; I really
_have_ made the place comfortable and pretty by this time.

It is delightful to us to hear such good news of Butty. She made so
deep an impression on Fechter that he always asks me what Ceylon has
done for her, and always beams when I tell him how thoroughly well it
has made her. As to _you_, you are the youngest man (worth mentioning as
a thorough man) that I know. Oh, let