I celebrated my retirement from the platform by coming home lat Thursday & going to bed blaspheming with the first cold int he head I had had in five months; recovered, to-day at last, & began to overhaul a great accumulation of mail matter, & have at this moment come across your most welcome note—& just in time to lay it on the place where this morning’s Springfield Republican gave Huckleberry Finn a gratuitous stab—just in time; & that stab is healed & does not hurt any more. I should have been grateful for your praises at any time; this time, naturally enough, I was particularly so, & so I thank you again.