for Thoreau himself, but arriving from distant California too late.
Concord, March 4, 1863.
Dear Sir:
The cane arrived at this place last evening and was delivered to me, in perfect order.
X. Y. Z.
I have in my keeping the very express-receipt that was issued to the donor of the cane, and it contains just as much pathos as the recipient's "communication"—and not an iota less! This cold-storage 'communication' of Mr. X. Y. Z. is sui generis—and yet we are told that only the amphibia have oval blood-corpuscles.
The cane was of manzanita wood, the handle was made from a buffalo horn, and the silver mountings were
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