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[Asks him to publish [" The Bazar"]; feels that this poem will be his last contribution because of his failing health; asks him to advise [Henry Mills] Aldento publish two other poems in Harper's Weeklyrather than " East Wind"; consoles the him on the death of his father; discusses death; criticizes a number of contemporary writers for their detached view on "the possible annihilation of their species"; feels these writers reduce saints and martyrs to "superstitious ideals"; quotes Swinburne.]

[Selects " The Pillar Saints" and " The Buzzard, " from a group of poems sent by correspondent; says he selected the 2 poems because they are superior in their clear, natural, and simple style, a quality rarely found these days; talks about the poems at length; finds correspondent's idea of a "Poetic Aviary" a good one, provided, the poems reach the excellence of the special lyrics he mentions; comments on a poem by Mr. Williams.]

[Says he found his recent letters thought-provoking and pithy; comments on violets and how flowers affected the temperaments of Oliver Wendell Holmesand John Keats; compliments him on his critical and intellectual abilities; discusses his life at Copse Hill; feels he has benefited greatly from his withdrawal from society; comments on his daily observation of nature; thanks Spencer for criticism of his work; considers Southern Magazinethe only "trustworthy" critical magazine; feel The Atlanticand The New York Nationare imperfect; responds in detail to Spencer's evaluation of his poems, including " Daphles: An Argative Story, " " Renewed, " " The Wife of Brittany, " " Krishna and his Three Handmaidens, " " Under the Pine (To the Memory of Henry Timrod), " and " The Dream of the South Winds, " " The Bonny Brown Hand, " and " Fire Picture"; discusses the creation of " The Wife of Brittany" which involved a modernization of Chaucer mixed with the influence of Dryden and Keats.]

[Says the violets he sent to Spencer have been a great success; talks about the strange spiritual delight he gets from this flower; remarks how different temperaments are affected by certain plants, Oliver Wendell Holmesby the box-tree, Keats by jissamine; quotes part of a Keats poem; Says he is happy to have found a friend to whom he can turn; says he is very alone; praises Spencer's work at length and in detail; responds to Spencer's critical evaluation, upon his request, of his poems; says The Southern Magazineis the only trustworthy one; thinks little of The Atlantic Monthlyand The Nation; expresses gratitude to William Hand Brownefor introducing him.]

[Includes ALS on verso; asks Clark to write to Paul Hamilton Hayne; says that they can not use the offered manuscript due to a large stock of already accepted material.]

[Expresses admiration for the new St. Nicholas magazine; offers for possible publication a prose sketch of Southern country life as it was 40 or 50 years ago, written by his mother, a lady of 68, "but bright- minded and alert"; says that the story describes, among other things, the mingling of white children with plantation Negroes.]

[Sends two poems, "Sunset" and another, as more representative than anything he sent before. Says they will be better than "Betrayal," which is one of the songs from "The Jacquerie." Notes that "Sunset" was set to music by Dudley Buckafter it appeared in Lippincott's Magazine; the second poem was published in Scribner's Monthly. Thanks correspondent for article on Paul Hamilton Hayne. ]

[Includes 2 engraved prints of Paul Hamilton Hayne. ]