217
praising it and talking enviously � as it seemed � of the
probable profits.
  {13.  Monday to       I don�t like New York any the better
  17.  Friday.}       for my past week of country pleasure.
It�s blazing hot weather, and evil odors abound.    Down
town each morning to attend to miscellaneous matters.
The book goes well, and the Masons are printing a second
edition.       Had a row with Dan Mason again � about their
Websterizing my English. (They had all the electrotype plates
altered, words punched out in order to effect �theater�,
�rickety� &c � which, I am glad to know, must have cost
them something.     Their reason is, of course, that they publish
Webster�s Dictionary.)          Dan is, without exaggeration, a
most insufferable arrogant beast, and seems to try riding
the high-horse over every body.    Most of the papers have
noticed the book very favorably � nearly all the weekly
ones extracting chapters.      Only two have (as yet) pit-
ched into it, the �Express�and �Albion�.     The former vili-
fication was written by a Mrs Eller � who once produced
a trashy play yclept the �Slave Actress� which Doesticks
pitched into and damned by a burlesque account in the
Tribune.    It was played but one, or two nights.   Hence the
lady � conceiving that I belong to the Picayune � walked
into my book and the paper over my shoulders.       I rather
relish it and didn�t feel a grain of annoyance on its peru-
sal.     The Albion dispraise is trite.        Frank Leslie
wants me to write him an article, weekly, to be illus-
trated by Howard.      Did him one on Tuesday night.