Sept. 17th 1854, , Dear Friend Spooner, , , I was as much surprised as I was highly delighted in receiving a letter from you a few days ago. The joy was not unmingled with some gratitude towards you as I felt that I had a debt of long delinquency to cancel before expecting you to write me a single line. The principal reason why I have not written to you before, I feel, is not a sufficient excuse. It is simply this: that in writing you the plain, unvarnished truth, I could not tell you of having met with much pecuniary success out here, & I very much dislike to write doleful accounts of myself. I have not, however, been so "hard up" as that