Letter from John Burroughs to Unknown

West Park N.Y. Dec 14. [ ?] Dear Sir: Your letter & the copy of the Literary World, are rcd. I fear there is little that I can give you, or feel at liberty to give you, that will avail you much. About the most gratifying letters I receive from strangers, are from in reality confined to their rooms, in most cases women, my books seem to bring the breath of outdoors to them. One such (a western woman

(an invalid) has written me many letters, which I shall publish by & by, in an article in The Century.) I think women are my best readers any way, I heard of a lady in a New England city the other day, who, when she cannot take a walk, reads some chapter in one of my books. My English sketch in "Fresh Fields" have been approved of by some good judges, a well known member of Parliament, himself a man of letters, said I seemed to be the only one who could describe English scenery. An Englishman writing me from Cincinnati

"I think your description of the physical geography of certain types of English landscapes mark a new era in descriptive writing". This, is of course, an exageration. [sic] Such things must be delicately used, if at all, in your article. Nothing else occurs to me now, I can say any publisher would send you a copy of Fresh Fields to be noticed, on application. Truly Yours John Burroughs