I well remember the joy wherewith I first greeted the following from a Cincinnati paper; so hearty too, and generous, and obviously sincere.
"The author of this book will rank, we are free to say, with the very first spirits of the British world.

It will live, in our judgment, as long as the English language, and be a text-book of wisdom to the young of all generations of America and England both.

We would rather be the author of it, than hold any civil or ecclesiastical office in the globe.
We would rather leave it as a legacy to our children, than the richest estate ever owned by man.

From our heart we thank the young author for this precious gift, and, could our voice reach him, would pronounce a shower of heartfelt blessings on his soul.

When we began to read it with our editorial pencil in hand, we undertook to mark its beautiful passages, should we find any worthy of distinction; but, having read to our satisfaction--indeed to our amazement--we throw down the pencil, and, had we as much space as admiration, we would quote the whole of it.
It is one solid, sparkling, priceless gem." I may as well add a few more such extracts, as strictly within the text of "My Lifework." "The author of 'Proverbial Philosophy' is a writer in whom beautiful extremes meet,--the richness of the Orient, and the strength of the Occident--the stern virtue of the North and the passion of the South.