“Fort Meade, Florida, Feb. 10th, 1852.
“Dear Graham—The February number of your Magazine has this day come to hand, and acting on the hint you give in your Small-Talk, i. e. ‘Money is worth 2 per cent. a month,’ I herewith inclose the $3 for this year’s subscription to your book. I showed that portion of your Small-Talk(?) headed ‘That bill again,’ to my wife; and what do you think? Why, instead of calling you a good-for-nothing-impertinent man, she said, ‘Why don’t you give the man his money? Graham is a dear, good fellow and he deserves it,’ etc. Of course, I had to back down, and here is the tin.
“Truly yours,
G. D.”
Now we like that woman, and will bet she was just the girl that would go off with a soldier—full of all brave and good thoughts, and loving as a southern wind in an orange grove. If we ever do go to Florida, we shall stop at the Fort and see this lady, and shake hands all round with the G. D.’s.
Thanks.—Our space is limited, in this number, although we have much to say to our friends and readers; but we shall take room enough to thank most sincerely and heartily, the many editors who have sent us clubs and single subscribers for the year 1852. We had intended to notice, by letter, the many kind expressions of regard for our business welfare, but so many and rapidly sent were these missives of good-will, that we abandoned the undertaking, and must here content ourself with saying—to one and all—Thanks!
We can get up no theatrical speech for the occasion, and can only promise to devote such abilities as we have been blessed with, be they poor or rich, to making “Graham”—what we hope it can be made, under our administration—“the best Magazine in the country.” We can only say, that our whole time and thought are freely bestowed upon the work—that we have no other avocation, similar, or adverse, to distract our attention, and if we fail to realize our aim, in the opinion of our readers and friends, that our ability comes short of our ambition. So said—so done. This number is a fair sample of what we can do; and we think we can do better, and shall try.
The Saturday Gazette.—This well-known Family Paper is now under the charge of Alexander Cummings and Mrs. Joseph C. Neal, and has been, both in typographical execution and in literary excellence, much improved. Mrs. Neal’s delightful Letters from the South, are a very decided addition to the intellectual attractions of the Gazette—the Foreign Correspondence is more complete than ever, and the Stories and Essays to be found in its ample pages are of the very highest order.