had been telling him a story that excited him, and
then he told her this: 'How his horse went out into
a long, long wood, and how he looked through a
squirrel's eyes and saw a great giant, and the giant
was himself.'
******
"Went to see the Hawthornes; it was very pleasant, the poplars whisper so suddenly their pleasant tale, and everywhere the view is so peaceful. The house within I like, all their things are so expressive of themselves, and mix in so gracefully with the old furniture. H. walked home with me; we stopped some time to look at the moon. She was struggling with clouds. He said he should be much more willing to die than two months ago, for he had had some real possession in life; but still he never wished to leave this earth, it was beautiful enough. He expressed, as he always docs, many fine perceptions. I like to hear the lightest thing he says.
“Waldo and I have good meetings, though we stop at all our old places. But my expectations are moderate now; it is his beautiful presence that I prize far more than our intercourse. He has been reading me his new poems, and the other day at the end he asked me how I liked the little subjective twinkle all through.' ******
“Saturday. Dear Richard has been here a day or two, and his common sense and .homely affection are grateful after these fine people with whom I live at sword's points, though for the present turned down: wards. It is well to 'thee' and 'thou' it after talking with angels and geniuses. Richard and I spent the afternoon at Walden and got a great bunch of flowers. A fine thunder-shower gloomed gradually up
