I ought perhaps to have mentioned to you, when you were kind enough to express a wish to have an article on the park for the Atlantic, that Dr. Bellows, who is “one of yours”, has been watching our work, apparently with much interest, from its commencement. Though I have seldom met him, I believe he rides here daily.

Frank Goodrich (“Dick Tinto”) who has a trick of writing lively letters at least (if his comedies are slow) has made a more systematic study of the park than anyone else not engaged upon it. I presume it has been with an intention of writing about it. He often comes to the office to see the plans and obtain technical information of the work in progress. He is familiar with European parks.

George Curtis knows the park and all about it better than any other notable writer. Rossiter better than any other of our painters. Van Brunt, Richard Hunt and Eidlitz better than any other of our architects. They have each had a residence in Paris, I believe, and each writes well on professional subjects. I know of no other experts, and of no one capable of criticizing the park horticulturally and artistically, and of writing for the Atlantic. This was rather what I had in view in our conversation. The limitations of horticulture and the fair presumptions in horticulture must be known and felt before the park can be adequately criticised as a work of art. For in the next century it must be held a work of Art, or a failure. Now [that] the plan is all blocked out upon the ground, it is that I care most for.

Curtis was a friend of Downing’s and, as you will remember, edited his essays. He would perhaps have too much bias of personal friendship. The doctor would not, but as he has preached about it (so I am told) would, no doubt, write con amore, if he wrote. Curtis could not write before election, nor perhaps afterwards, on account of his lecture engagements. Goodrich would have the most detailed knowledge. The architects would each write critically & conscientiously. Van Brunt religiously, Eidlitz spicily. Now I think of it, Col. Stebbins[270] as Chairman of the Committee on Architectural Structures of our Board has given Hunt some employment in connection with the park, on which account I would not recommend him.

There has been so much careless puffing of the park and so much ignorant and mistaken fault-finding, that I am sure you will excuse the interest I have that a really considerate review of it should appear. If you determine upon it, I shall of course be glad to furnish the fullest information, if any should be wanted, both with regard to the design, & the work, as well as the working of the park with the people—the phenomena of which already should explode much, somewhat popular, fallacy of cowardly conservatism.

We have not heard from or of you since I last wrote. No material change here. In fact I should describe my own condition precisely as I did week before last. With practice I gain a little more power of locomotion and am just today venturing to seat & unseat myself. In an emergency I could dress myself &—crutches at bed-head—get up, but still wear a splint and am tightly bandaged from toe to hip, & the knee not in the least better. A stiff knee is a very great inconvenience. I can not sit in a chair or turn over in bed—and the stiff leg is greatly in the way. While necessarily using crutches, I should do very much better if it were off altogether. There has been too much wind & dampness for me to go out much, but whenever it is tolerably pleasant I am toted about on the litter chair.

Mary rather worse—pretty constant sharp or sick headache. Took advice of doctor yesterday—simply ordered to be quiet & take it easy. Only wants strength. Children very well & getting on most satisfactorily with their two hours’ schooling from Miss Centayne, whom I find a most excellent teacher for such young ones at any rate. It is a regular school business, with silence, order & discipline for two hours, which order & discipline is the best of it for them. They have music & dumb-bell exercise & ten runs across the court for “recess.” They take to it kindly, & make obvious progress, so I think Charley may be expected to learn to read, after all.

The prince was hurried through the park with admirable celerity and precision. The whole stoppage for the tree-planting, speaking & walking to & fro with a strong crowd pressing and many carriages hurrying up the road, did not exceed five minutes. From the moment he entered until he left, none of the party were jostled, crowded or delayed an instant by the crowd. I arranged & superintended all the police arrangements; but neither Vaux or I were taken any notice of. Only as they were leaving, some one pointed me out to the Prince & [275] he turned & bowed to me several times until he caught my attention and returned his salute.

I am too much confined to hear much talk of politics. I see only symptomatic straws of Lincoln’s strength & believe New York city must be going better than will be generally expected.

I have much confidence in Garibaldi & am surprised the Times (Eng.) should (with Tray & the rest of course) think it need to be barking doubtfully at or about him. He & all Italy is undoubtedly indebted to the Mazzini or at least [to the] original republican revolutionary societies & committees, who in great danger & with great courage & persistence have been really opening the way which he has had the wisdom & courage to take to free the country. He has been in correspondence with them, has moved in by their invitation, has been acting under their advice. All this no one doubts, yet no one of the papers seems to see that the temporary government must be mainly administered & directed by them. They were always to have been esteemed rash—at least audacious & impracticable men. Must not the Garibaldian policy now more than ever appear to the world audacious? The whole movement has had its strength mainly in revolutionary men. Can a revolutionary quality be wholly avoided in its success? Would not Garibaldi be foolish as well as ungrateful if he took no counsel of them, if he employed or acknowledged them only for war purposes?

Kapp has just here published “a History of American Slavery”, in German, (published also, and simultaneously, in Germany) which is dedicated in a most complimentary manner to me.

A thorough inspection of the park by a Swiss Engineer who has been employed in European parks, is now being made by order of the Investigating Committee of the Senate.

The doctor comes to me now but twice a week. He says that at one of the consultations he told Parkers that if he cut off my leg I would not live through the night; if he did not, I might live a week. The chances were not one in a hundred that I recovered. Well, I hope I shall have been worth saving against odds.