All right, my boy, then I apologize! As you say, we all have our opinions, we all have our prejudices & aversions, consequently we must make allowances for each other—at least when we are calm. Now one of my pet aversions is the pun. I cannot abide a pun. I thought you would know me well enough by this time, to know that a couple of stickfuls of matter with containing half a dozen puns, was (by that sign) not mine, even if my name was signed to it. But lord bless you, I suppose we never are half as well known to each other, in this particular world, as we think we are. Did I say I apologized? Well, whether I said it or not, I say it now; for when I have wronged a man, I can’t feel at ease & comfortable until I have acknowledged the fault & asked his pardon. And so, long life & prosperity to you, J. P.,—& sponge off the score against