y way, for I have always delighted in showing
off, and teaching grandmothers to suck eggs, I could not be persuaded,
for reasons which may be guessed at by the proud and sensitive and
foolish, so long as the question about "Brother Jonathan" was undecided.

On the 24th of November, having received my answer to his of the 8th,
he wrote again as follows:--

"MY DEAR SIR,--I felt very anxious, indeed, till I had the
pleasure of receiving your letter of the 11th, fearing that
you might not, perhaps, take the remarks I sent you in the
spirit of kindness in which they were honestly and sincerely
made. Your letter has satisfied me that you will yet make a
glorious book of 'Brother Jonathan.'

"Let the better feelings and passions of our nature have
freer scope and happier development and results. This is
what your work wants; for mankind like better to see the
bright side of the picture than the dark one. I do not think
it necessary to say one word more to you on the subject.
Your own taste and feelings must direct you as to what is
necessary to be done. All that I hope and pray for is, that
you may have set seriously to work with the revision and
correction."

Are not these two extracts enough to show of themselves the leading
characteristics of "Ebony," or "Old Christopher"? How business-like, and
yet how friendly and judicious are the suggestions!

Meanwhile, I had furnished a paper for him, entitled "Men and Women; or,
A Brief Hypothesis concerning the Differences in their Genius." My
object was to show, that, although unlike, they were not unequal; that
each had a standard for itself. I did not urge that Arabs, who are
reckoned pretty good judges of horse-flesh, always give the preference
to mares for endurance and swiftness,--that the female bird of prey is
larger and fiercer than the male,--that the female body-guard of the
King of Dahomey are terrible Amazons,--nor that, where women reign, men
rule, and _vice versa_; but that, by endowing woman with a more
sensitive organization, our Father had given her what was better than a
mane for the lioness, a beard for the goat, or a voice and plumage to
the female singing-bird, etc., etc. This also appeared, and was
handsomely paid for.

"In this number," he says, "you will see, that, though we have given an
additional half-sheet, we have only had room for your 'American
Writers.'... I hope you