Your most kind letter gave me so much pleasure that my first wish was to sit down at once and thank you for it. However as second thoughts are said to be best sometimes, I decided to wait till the portraits came so as to be able to let you know of their safe arrival. This I can do today for they came safely yesterday, & I shall gladly || undertake to see that they reach their destinations safely. I am only sorry you should think that I would consider your commission a trouble. I look upon it as a very friendly action on your part to let me do you this little service. ‒ Your “Freie Wissenschaft und frei Lehre” has also come safely & I value it greatly with your handwriting in it; and your portrait is a no less welcome gift. Many, many thanks for your kindness. – If you have || carried away a pleasant impression of your visit to us, I can assure you that we have a very delightful remembrance of the few hours you spent here; and I am not likely soon to forget your visit to my little study. You wrote me a few lines of Goethe’s & I would have liked to have given you too in return which occurred to me when you had bid us good-bye:
Es ist vortheilhaft den Genius bewirthen ;
Gibst du ihm ein Gastgeschenk
So läst er dir ein schöneres zurück! ||
Are the pretty pictures of „jelly fish“, illustrations of the work you spoke of sending me for translation?
With kindest remembrances from us all, believe me, dear Professor Haeckel
