This note will be presented by Mr. William Platt, whose father when living was a dear friend of ours. His mother was one of Cheneys of South Manchester. He is a graduate of Harvard of last year and has been one of your academic faculty but thinks that you would not know him, and I venture to advise him to inquire if you could give him a short interview on Sunday for a purpose which I will state.

During his vacations while in college and steadily since Mr. Platt has been engaged in preparing himself under my advice to enter our office as a pupil. His brother, who is a painter and etcher, is going to Italy with the intention of obtaining material by sketching and photographing for a volume of which an appropriate title might be Al Fresco; its contents being designed to be mainly if not exclusively illustrations of gardens and garden furniture, seats, fountains, terraces, staircases, pergolas, rustic paths and other amenities of Italian out of door life. That at least is my understanding of his project which I think is still lacking definition a little partly because of hazy information as to what is practicable. His brother has offered to take William with him paying his expenses, as an assistant, and though reluctant to advise an interruption of his professional studies at this stage, I have thought it best that he should accept the invitation, mainly because of the familiarity that he will gain by necessarily close and contemplative observation of so many objects and composition of a picturesque character, and this in the line of his intended calling, and because of a certain valuable practice that he is likely to obtain in sketching.

He has just had a dispatch from his brother calling him to New York tonight but does not like to go nor do I like to have him without asking the favor of a little counsel from you. It is possible that you may think of something to say to him from the abundance of your knowledge in Italian petty scenery, that would be of invaluable service to him and to his brother. I have therefore advised him to remain a day longer in the hope that it might be convenient for you to see him in the afternoon.

Faithfully yours,