admit; it was
like the thing. The cascades here, I'm afraid, come down more like
seed oatmeal.

* * * * *

I believe in my hasty answer to your first kind letter I never noticed
what you said about Aristophanes. If you will indeed send me some
notes of the passages that interest you in the "Birds," it will not
only be very pleasant to me, but quite seriously useful, for the
"Birds" have always been to me so mysterious in that comedy, that I
have never got the good of it which I know is to be had. The careful
study of it put off from day to day, was likely enough to fall into
the great region of my despair, unless you had chanced thus to remind
me of it.

Please, if another chance of good to me come in your way, in another
brown spotty-purple peacock's feather, will you yet send it to me, and
I will be always your most grateful and faithful

J. R.

* * * * *

HERNE HILL.

What translation of Aristophanes is that? I must get it. I've lost I
can't tell you how much knowledge and power through false pride in
refusing to read translations, though I couldn't read the original
without more trouble and time than I could spare; nevertheless, you
must not think this English gives you a true idea of the original. The
English is much more "English" in its temper than its words.
Aristophanes is far more dry, severe, and concentrated; his words are
fewer, and have fuller flavor; this English is to him what currant
jelly is to currants. But it's immensely useful to me.

Yes, that is very sweet about the kissing. I have done it to rocks
often, seldom to flowers, not being sure that they would like it.

I recollect giving a very reverent little kiss to a young sapling
that was behaving beautifully in an awkward chink, between two great
big ones that were ill-treating it. Poor me, (I'm old enough, I hope,
to write grammar my own way,) my own little self, meantime, never by
any chance got a kiss when I wanted it,--and the better I behaved, the
less chance I had, it seemed.

* * * * *

I never thought the large packet was from you; it was thrown aside
with the rest, till evening, and only opened _then_ by chance. I was
greatly grieved to find what I had thus left unacknowledged. The
drawings are entirely beautiful and wonderful, but, like