By George I’m glad your way prevailed—I am excessively glad. As to the London edition, we’ll hope we are not too late; but if we are, the differing of the text of the two books will harm nothing—I mean, will not make the harm which Osgood is thinking of. For I judge he thinks it would affect the integrity of the copyright in some God-knows-how sort of way—but it won’t. Nobody will ever detect the discrepancy.

The decorators are banging away here. Began yesterday. They’ve got scaffoldings everywhere , ; now; but they make no prophecies; can’t be persuaded to. But they are at work in an energetic way, & I think we’ll soon see our way to guessing out a date for our visit.

I wish to gosh you could be here now, in this pretty weather; but wishing don’t do no good.