[Letter] May 7,1891,Smith College [to F.H. Giddings]

May 7, 1891, Smith College.

Dear Friend,
       Miss F. C. Brown
was in the class of 1882,
the first that I taught at
all in Smith College. I
had the class as a whole
for one term only. My
recollection of Miss Brown
is favorable, as far as it
goes; but there are others
who had her longer in
classes and will know
better about her qualities.
I will inquire about her and
write again.
 Are you not coming
to New England after all?
I mean for the summer
vacation. I wish you were
to do so. Morse will be here
and we can get up an
innermost circle of Polit.
and Econ. Science. Tuttle
and C. D. Walker will be
here also. I wish you were
within reaching distance
now. The name Walker
suggests that Pres't. Walker
is making an article to
demolish Mr. Hobson and
me. He was good enough
to let me see the part
on Mr. Hobson. One good
turn he has done me;
namely, to call attention
to the fact that Mr. Hobson's
theory and mine are not
substantially identical,
since Mr. H. reserves from
rent of labor and capital
a minimum that is
necessary interest and wages.
This minimum, with
me is the important part
of rent. He does not
apply the rent principle in
its more refined form at
all. The effect of Pres't.
Walker's article will be to
force me to fight him,
which I have been repeatedly
asked to do, but have not yet
felt inclined to do. I do not
fear it on argumentative
grounds; but criticism
cannot be made so courteous
and fair as not to ruffle
Pres't. W., if I judge him
aright. Just now I am
digging at these lectures on
Agrarianism, for Dr. Felix
Adler's Summer School, of
which H. C. Adams has the
economic section.

        Yours Very Truly,
             J. B. Clark