
Dear patient and [illegible] yet afflicted Friend—your Card of 13 instant in reply to my letter of the 5 is at hand—The main purpose of this is to express the greatest sympathy with you in your sickness—and, understand that it was not merely or mainly the "Radicalism" of your works which drew me toward you it was the warmth of a loving heart and universal charity so beautifully expressed—that which leans towards my own preference for "rudeness—savageness—spiritedness "was still regarded [illegible] in comparison. (Please let me replace some of the stamps you have wasted on me.)
The world should thank you for your Love—without regard to opinions.
The questions I have
lately sent
you
about policy of attacking such
Orthodoxy
as prevails here and elsewhere, were
forced from me by an increasing conviction that such Preaching as we have is greatly responsible [illegible] for the low moral condition of the
country. I agree with Democratic Vistas, that we should get
back to uncontaminated "intuitions" of true grrace as
the
sound basis for moral
improvement.
Quite lately I came to perceive how you accepted the universe as a loving wife accepts gifts of a provident husband. I am satisfied—I see, laugh, dance, sing.
After I write again, say you got this, (I may sometime shortly send a little note to John Burroughs, to ask if he got the pretty little printed articles of a Georgia Poet about Fruit-Growing which I sent him in my one (only) short note a year ago [deletion] There was some very amusing and pretty a[deletion] lines of Dr Ticknor.) ☛ I shall be greatly offended unless you strictly limit yourself to love for B.
Dear Friend—think not that I know nothing about trouble or spells of unhappiness we are a discordant household, and I will (of course) say it is not my fault, but would boast of patience and ingenuity. Defeated till I sometimes wish I were dead.)
More and more I realize that the world is not rightly taught—I partly despair and partly resent. Yet I enjoy life most of the time, and owe more to you than anyone else. We have so much dry weather, the crop gives much leisure, but I fear we may have a serious drouth drought
John Newton Johnson