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West Chester, Chester Co. Penna. Feby 23rd 1881.
My Dear Prof. Bessey, I returned from Europe two days ago, and found your book on my table. It is now too late to review it, for that has already been well done. But I'll do better, I'll tell my students they must get it, and in my first Horticultural Hall lecture. I shall make no excuse for saying that it is the best book of the kind in the English language. You have produced a marvel of compact, well digested, [neat?] botanical literature and for which please accept not only my congratulations, but as a teacher also my thanks.
Yours faithfully J. T. [Rothbrook?]
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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
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whom and myself there existed an old [?] time friendship. He [hunted?] me up when I was sent in wounded from Fredericksburg, and of course I write as I could talk to an old friend.
I guess it will all come out right. Coulter has thanked me for the reply and kind [?] intentions were good. At any rate if it were [Bebb.?], and he had written in down right ugly word (which he could not) I would put out my reply to him in full friendship. In such as I have the permit you can count on a share for the Naturalist: but for some months in may not be much: – until I am relieved of the present pressure.
Yours sincerely J. T. R[olterock?]
