RK-873

[stamped] Alice Cora Kennicott Collection

[printed letterhead] No. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., [written] March 11th? [printed] 18 [written] 63. Tuesday night

My Dear Poddy

Last week I didnt work any. - was just sick enough to have an excuse for being lazy. Consequence was that I got sulky and cross as the Dickens and am only jirst getting over it - After this I'll keep at work and not be so uncomfortable.

Do you ever get sulky Poddy and get into a sort of a "dont care a d-nation state of mind?. If ever you do just get some piece of work and pitch in like blazes for a while - Sure cure!

I reckon you might hold your pen in your toes oh Poddy for all any good I get

get from it in the way of letters.

Do you know one thing I'm doing now Poddy? that is getting together all the materials I can for a big Big Zoological collection to the placed probably in Chicago. Poddy after youve pitched hard into the school books a little while you must come here and work on Natural History and then we'll very soon have so big a museum in Chicago that you and I can just sit down in good old Illinois and write no end of fine things on Zoology and tell the other fellows all about Illinois animals.

We must commence next summer to make notes etc and I want you to hurry up and get

[illegible - 2 or 3]

[printed letterhead] No. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., 18

[written] ready to study French and Latin so that you can read the foreign books - You see I dont want you to be a one horse naturalist and to be a good one you must study hard first at ordinary school studies -

I reckon as a general thing it would be better to read very few if any novels - I believe that if at 18 years of age I had not known how to read it would have been better for me - so much did novel reading injure me.

I trust you dont let them make a babe of you and keep you from working or studying. And dont you let mother make you play with the small boys - You stick by Major and Bruno and your paternal -

Why dont you write to me. Tell Mary Selez[?] to write to me. Do you ever hear from John Woodworth? Reckon we will have some good fun working at Natural History with him and some others in Chicago -

Keep your eyes peeled for Hawks nests every time - the hawks and owls will next this month

Good night Poddy - Kiss Mother and the rest for me

Bob

When work commences in the spring tell me what you do in the nursery. - I suppose Major will rather make things "get" - After all I wish I was to work there too - Natural History isnt all Bun & Skittles either.