'Here is the beautiful Commonplace book awaiting me on my return home! And I give it a great welcome you may be sure; and turn it over, & peep in, and read a sentence and shut it up to think over it's graceful suggestive wisdom in something of the 'gourmet' spirit of a child with an eatable dainty; which child, if it have the proper artistic sensuality of childhood, first looks it's cake over to appreciate the full promise of it's appearance, - next, snuffs up it's fragrance, - and gets to a fair & complete mouth-watering before it plunges into the first [italics] bite [end italics]. I do like your book. I liked it before, - I like it better now - it is like looking into deep clear water, - down below at every instant of prolonged gaze, one sees some fresh beauty or treasure of clear white pebble, or little shady nooks for fish to lurk in, or delicate water weds. Thank you for it. I do value it'