To WFB.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)

Having grown up in Rhinebeck, N.Y., been a resident of Stamford, Conn., and attended Yale College, I thoroughly enjoyed William F. Buckley Jr.'s recollections ("From Miles Gone By--A Literary Autobiography," August 9).

Buckley's observations of the Dutchess County Horse Show brought to mind my own childhood memories of attending country fairs in Rhinebeck on those very same grounds.

While in Stamford, I too lived on the water, and having passed many agreeable evenings watching the sun set from the boardwalk, I can attest that Buckley is spot-on when he writes of "the most dazzling light changes" that do indeed make a "happy inhabitant ... wonder at the wonder of it all."

I took the greatest interest in Buckley's tales from New Haven, where he is, needless to say, legendary. During my own time in the Elm City, I spent a term on the layout staff of the Yale Daily News, drawn to the publication in no small part because of its history and tradition--of which Buckley is a lasting icon. In the Yale Political Union's Conservative party, Buckley continues to be the figure most often cited by members as a role model for Yale conservatives, and for all young conservatives, and for every student who aspires to be a "Yale Man"--of which Buckley is practically the quintessence.

So, from a slightly younger right-winger: Thanks for the memories, and thanks even more for the enduring example.