Transcription

clasped in mine am looking wistfully

in your face, as you patiently answer my

[numberless?] questions & relate incidents after

incident of such great interest to me

that I can bear no more, & my head finds

a resting place in your lap to hide the

[scalding?] tears though which my aching

heart must find relief & verily I could

almost fancy a voice from spirit land

was soothing me them for I hear the same

sweet names of endearment & feel the same

gentle soothing manner calming my

restless heart again _______ but no, I

will not trouble you with a farther

perusal of my meditations, for I fear

that I have already tired you; but my

precious Sister when writing to you,

I feel inclined to (as I always did when

writing to my own idolized Brother) to

tell you almost every thought & feeling,

forgetting that I may weary you by so

doing: Thanks remembered for my

birthday letter, but don't worry yourself too

[marginalia – cross-hatched on page]

much about me; I am seldom sick enough to be confined to bed,

& think perhaps my trip to Columbia was beneficial to me as

I am feeling better at present: it is a great pleasure to me to

know that our think of me so often & you ask how I spend

my time! this winter, as was last winter, will be spent dear Sister in a

school room mostly, perhaps it is best that it must be so far it will

help to divert my thoughts for a portion of the day, from this usual

sad channel & help me to recover at least [an?] appearance of

sufficient cheerfulness to mingle with the world even as much

as is necessarily required of me : You shall have my photograph as

soon as I can have a good one taken but please keep it only for

your own inspection : I sincerely hope, darling Sister, that the same

devoted love I feel for you will always feel in return from

Your Pet.

Please remember me very affectionately to dear Miss Annette : also

to Miss Virginia, & while I think of it, let me rectify your mistake of

three years in my age : my last birthday was my twenty third :