Received Smith's letter of 8 January [1825]. Introduces his young friend, Howard Ryland, bearer of this letter. He and Mrs Yates would be happy to receive the Smiths as their guests. Mrs Yates is copying the account of Dr [Samuel] Parr's [(1747-1825), schoolmaster] funeral for Smith, it has appeared in some of the newspapers. Encloses sprig of a greenhouse plant they bought as a 'Linum' [Smith annotation: "'Linum arboreum'"]; observations. News of Birmingham friends: Comptons, Galtons, and Corries.

Specimen of 'Linum', wrapped.