Thoreau writes in his journal:
Thoreau also writes to H. G. O. Blake:
I some time ago asked Channing [William Ellery Channing] if he would not spend a week with me on Monadnoc; but he did not answer decidedly. Lately he has talked of an excursion somewhere, but I said that now I must wait till my sister returned from Plymouth, N.H. She has returned,—and accordingly, on receiving your note this morning, I made known its contents to Channing, in order to see how far I was engaged with him. The result is that he decides to go to Monadnoc to-morrow morning; so I must defer making an excursion with you and Brown [Theophilus Brown] to another season. Perhaps you will call as you pass the mountain. I send this by the earliest mail.
P.S.—That was a very insufficient visit you made here the last time. My mother is better, though far from well; and if you should chance along here any time after your journey, I trust that we shall all do better.