I’m afraid we shan’t see you in Europe; we’ve abandoned the idea of l◊◊ going over. We want to go, but we can’t well afford it. We have made but few investments in the last few years which have not turned out badly. Our losses during the past three years have been prodigious. Three or four more of such years would make it necessary for us to move out of our house & hunt for cheaper quarters. You mustn’t speak of these things, of course.—however, that goes without saying, as the French say. Of course, we could go to Europe, but under the circumstances it doesn’t seem wisest. We have money to live on, but we can’t go gallivanting around in an expensive way—as formerly. I must settle down to work & restore things to the old condition; & one can work better at home than in Europe.

Well, that’s enough of that. As to news, there’s none; except that we are all well, all will send love to you by Mr. & Mrs. Twichell who sail for Europe June 14 (Julia doesn’t go)—& that is all the news, except that Twichell & I have been breaking our necks & bones all the past 7 days trying to learn to ride the bicycleⒶemendation—but we have acquired the art, now, & shan’t break anything more.

The photographs came & we gave the Warners theirs. The Howellses were here. I am obliged to say that none of us greatly liked the Eve’s Lullaby. We felt that we must be wrong, since our uninstructedⒶemendation judgment could not be true & right in the face of the different verdict of your teachers & educated critics.

The ‘Echo’ has come, now, & I shall show that to the Warners & others. To me it is perfectly beautiful; & so is it also to Miss Lizzy Foote. She draws & paints & is not wholly ignorant, but I am. Eve’s head is fine, but the Echo is all fine—she is faultless in form, she is lovely, she is beautiful.

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I have been over to the Warners, & carried the Echo. Charles is in New York, but Mrs. Susie Warner & Mrs. George Warner were delighted with the Echo, & full of praises of it.

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It occurs to me, now, that you have never said very much about it, nor said anything about exhibiting it in the Salon. Why is this? Did you prefer the Eve to it? In my perplexity it has occurred to me that the Echo may be a copy of some masterpiece, & that you made it in the way of practice; & that this is the reason why you have not enlarged upon it in your letters. It is the only explanation I can think of. I have looked, but cannot now put my hand on any letter of yours in which it is mentioned; so I shall have to wait till you tell me yourself about it. But it’s beautiful, anyway—that fact remains.