there is no doubt that were the child born it _might_ be
christened; wherefore I will really request you to take the
business into your consideration, and give me in the most
rigorous sober manner you can some scheme of it. How many
Discourses; what Towns; the probable Expenses, the probable net
Income, the Time, &c., &c.: all that you can suppose a man
wholly ignorant might want to know about it. America I should
like well enough to visit, much as I should another part of my
native country: it is, as you see, distinctly possible that such
a thing might be; we will keep it hanging, to solace ourselves
with it, till the time decide.

Have I involved you in double postage by this loquacity? or What
is your American rule? I did not intend it when I began; but
today my confusion of head is very great and words must be
multiplied with only a given quantity of meaning.

My wife, who is just gone out to spend the day with a certain
"celebrated Mrs. Austin," (called also the "celebrated Translatress
of Puckler-Muskau,") charged me very specially to send you
her love, her good wishes and thanks: I assure you there
is no hypocrisy in that. She votes often for taking the
Transatlantic scheme into contemplation; declares farther that
my Book and Books must and will indisputably prosper (at some
future era), and takes the world beside me--as a good wife and
daughter of John Knox should. Speaking of "celebrated" persons
here, let me mention that I have learned by stern experience, as
children do with fire, to keep in general quite out of the way of
celebrated persons, more especially celebrated women. This Mrs.
Austin, who is half ruined by celebrity (of a kind), is the only