asT.41.] TO DANIEL RICKETSON. 397
It was to my purpose, and I hope you got some thing out of it too. I suppose that the cold weather prevented your coming here. Suppose you try a winter walk on skates. Please re member me to your family.
Late in November, 1858, Cholmondeley, who had not written for a year and six months, sud denly notified Thoreau from Montreal that he was in Canada, and would visit Concord the next week. Accordingly he arrived early in December, and urged his friend to go with him to the West Indies. John Thoreau, the father, was then in his last illness, and for that and other reasons Thoreau could not accept the in vitation ; but he detained Cholmondeley in Con cord some days, and took him to New Bedford, December 8th, having first written this note to Mr. Kicketsoii :
" Thomas Cholmondeley, my English ac quaintance, is here, on his way to the West Indies. He wants to see New Bedford, a whal ing town. I tell him I would like to introduce him to you there, thinking more of his seeing you than New Bedford. So we propose to come your way to-morrow. Excuse this short notice, for the time is short. If on any account it is inconvenient to see us, you will treat us accord- ingly."
