
We were very much pleased to receive your kind postcard of Feb 26th, addressed to Dr. Johnston, & only wish that you could have reported an improved condition of health, instead of "about same." We hope to receive better news later.

I can't write much now, but will send you a copy of a very kind & friendly letter I have received from J.A. Symonds, which will no doubt interest you.
Not the least interesting thing about it to me is the frank cordial spirit of comradeship & kindness, ("real & not fictitious") it reveals, & which seems to distinguish those who are "sealed of the tribe of Walt."

I had asked him not to trouble with replying to my letter, & he sends me this long friendly letter in return!
The "forgeries" he refers to are facsimile copies of a letter & post cards received from you which I made & sent him—along with copies Dr. J. had made of letters from Traubel & Warry. (I afterwords sent him a copy of Dr. Bucke's letter).
It has been my custom to make as careful copies as possible of your correspondence,
& to give Dr.
J. copies of the postcards I receive. I sent these (last
received) to Symonds.
The weather here is very fine but cold—frosty nights, & clear, sunshiny days with north & north-east winds.
Have had a busy week & cannot write at much length, but with best love to you always
I remain Yours affectionately J.W. Wallace.
P.S. March 14th
Your card of the 3rd inst to hand. It pains us to note that you are still "in a bad way," though so cheerful & kind. Your loving-kindness in writing to us so frequently, while so unwell, affects us very deeply, & rouses in us depths of responding gratitude & love & sympathy beyond expression. If only we could do something to help you, what a relief it would be to our impotent yearning!

Dr Johnston called on me this morning, & told me he intended to send you a copy of one of my letters. I don't think it worth it, but I allowed him to do as he wished.
It is addressed to the friend in Liverpool who procured my copy of the 1855
edition of L of G. He had looked into it, but could make nothing of it. In a
hurried note he told me his impressions (adverse ones) & asked what I had to
say about them.
When I replied I was tired & out of sorts. And I felt that it was labour
thrown away (in a sense) as he was quite unlikely to come under your influence.
He is many years older than I. But he is one of the most respected & valued
of my friends, & I owed him such return as I could make for many kindnesses;
so I wrote at some length. But the letter is too elementary & inadequate to
be worth your perusal, & was, of course, only meant to meet the special case
of the man to
whom it was addressed.
I have known him many years, but chiefly at a distance & through correspondence.
Johnston received a letter yesterday morning from Capt. Nowell, in which he mentioned that he had told you of a copy of L. of G. he had seen offered for sale in L'pool for £6.18.0. Probably it was the copy which Goldstraw got for me @ £6.—A piece of extravangance on my part, perhaps, but I value it too highly to think so
With dearest love to you always (in haste) J. W. Wallace