November 21, 1834.
The class at the Medical College is very small, so that I have no salary here at present. But I have a comfortable and pleasant home, and fine opportunities for pursuing my favorite studies, and for acquiring a reputation that must sooner or later secure me a good place. I have work enough thrown into my hands to support me, with my prudent habits, through the winter. I spend my time entirely at the medical college and at my home here at Dr. Torrey’s, and hold little intercourse with any except medical and scientific men. I am writing two scientific articles on a difficult branch of botany for a scientific journal or magazine, which will give me a little notoriety. Dr. Torrey and myself went last month to Philadelphia, where we stayed a week. We spent our time almost entirely in the rooms of the American Philosophical Society, and of the Academy of Science. We met most of the scientific and other learned men, and spent our time very pleasantly. You shall hear from me again before long. It is not probable that I shall be up before next summer.
TO HIS MOTHER
Saturday Morning, February 7, 1835.
I do not know when I shall see you. I shall be up sometime during the spring or summer if I live so long, but perhaps not until July or August. It is very probable that I shall stay in the city the whole time. I wish very much to spend a few weeks in Georgia, early in the spring, but I see that I shall not be able to do so. My time is spent here very profitably, and I am advancing in knowledge as fast as I ought to wish, but I make no money, or scarcely enough to live upon. Just at present I am rather behindhand, but think that by next fall I shall, with ordinary success, be in better circumstances. It is unpleasant to be embarrassed in such matters, for I should like much to be independent, and this with my moderate wishes would require no very large sum, and I have no great desire to be rich.
Tell father I am very glad he has brought home the remainder of those boxes from Utica. The burning down of one of the buildings of the gymnasium has broken up that school entirely, and it probably will not be revived. I knew Mr. Bartlett would fail soon, and that accident has only hastened the time a little. He has been insolvent for some time. There was a very severe fire within a few rods of us last week; five or six dwelling-houses and other buildings were burned to the ground. Although it was so near us we were sitting at tea entirely unconcerned. Everything is done by the fire companies, and people who crowd about fires are only in the way, without doing any good.
Let me hear from you soon, and you will hear from me again in due season. The lectures in the Medical College will be finished in about three weeks, and then I shall be a little more at leisure.
I am very affectionately yours,
A. Gray.
TO HIS FATHER.
New York, April 6, 1835.