West Chester Chester Co. Penna., Dec. 20 1881
Dera Professor Bessey; I am just in receipt of yours.
I have been thinking for some time that I ought to occasionally
contribute toward the Am. Nat. I was among its [?] contributors. I
continued in full sympathy with it until some of my notes were doctored
by editors in such a way as placed me into very unpleasant relation to a
valued friend whose book I was supposed to have [?]. Appeal to the
authorities produced hardly any other reply than that they had used their privilege.
Of course I simply withdrew. Under present administration my intention
is all right. But – I am now and probably shall be crowded to the
very wall for the next six months for time. After that, I hope to be able to
appear again. My pupils [?] will in another year be able to
write something creditable, and the Naturalist will probably come in
for a full share. I am engaged in a large undertaking which will
probably not be [?] for some time, as it is not yet far enough
along to have taken shape. I use your text book and find it fills the
bill for laboratory work absolutely. We all are in your debt.
As for [?], our great advantage of being kept busy
is that I had hardly thought of the thing except to send
a short and pleasantly written reply, probably it should have
been more serous and aggresive, but I thought very little
about it save to guess that it was [Bebb.?] between
