Written at Concord, to William H. Furness. States that Mr. Thoreau goes to give a lecture at Spring Garden and suggests that he (Furness) plan to hear him. Further says that the only thing in Philadelphia, except the men, which would interest Thoreau is the stuffed birds at the Academy of Natural Sciences. [Apparently when Emerson was in the city Elias Durand showed him around the Academy which resulted in his expressed pleasure in them]. The last of the four pages is empty except for two pencil sketches, of the head in profile, of Thoreau, so identified by Charles Boewe in 1959 as being done by W. H. Furness.

The letter was given to Sarah Butler Wister, by H. H. Furness for an English friend of hers who collected autographs. She sent it to her “kinsman” Isaac J. Wistar, former President, with the remark that it rightfully belonged in the Academy's file and she was getting another plain autograph of Emerson to send to England. Isaac J. Wistar then wrote a covering letter to Samuel G. Dixon, March 13, 1905 presenting it to the library in the name of Dr. H. H. Furness, son of William H. Furness.