Letter from Ann S. Robinson, dated 1861

to have my brother exhibited by her. She offered to knit thy cap and she did it nicely, but I felt all the time as though unholy hands were touching sacred things. She is a good deal like Lou Walker and that is e- nough for me, but do as thee thinks best I could give her one of the little ones I have of thee and it owuld be all right, I think. She thinks so much of the boys, though she is perfectly respectable. Thee must read Henry's letter if thee can endure it, thee can do better than I own, I would not read it over for anything. I never wrote so poorly as I have to-day. I was so glad to get thy letter, I should have written a better reply. Do write to me often, thee don't know how much I prize thy letters. I think of thee very much and hope thee will still be preserved to return in safety to us. Thee always has my love and my sincere wishes for thy best welfare. Excuse this haste, I will do better next time. Very Affectionately Thine,

Anna Stevens.

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[LATE 1861]

Glenwood, 6th Day 1861.

My Darling Brother;

I should like to take the place of this little white paper and be carried in the envelope safely to washdom and to thee, that would indeed seem to pay pretty well, but I am very glad that we have the great privilege of writing to each other less. How much we ought to prize this. What should we do without it, I should worry myself to skin and bone(!) if I did not hear from thee. I am glad thee has a house to live in and should like to visit thee in it very much. I should not think it would seem much like living though for it seems to me, more like a cave in the ground than a house. I believe thee would be in good spirits any where, at least so the Proffessor said. I had the blues some this morning. Nancy thought I was holding a Quaker meeting.

but I feel very much better now, and I do not have such spells very often. I have had a long letter from Timothy, but he wrote no news. I hear from mother every fortnight but I suppose thee does the same, and so there is no news in that direction. I do not know why the Orcutts are to stay at our house this winter, and niether do I think much of the arrangement; however their changable dispositions are of advantage sometimes, for then they will not stay long. I do not think it is a very good plan for mother, and am sorry for it, but I did all I could to prevent it. I was some surprised at what thee wrote about Levi. I did not really think he would do such a mean act, though I know he would lie and suppose Sophia does too. I think I shall have a very nice quiet time here vacation. Nancy is going to Northfield Mass. to stay, so I shall be some lonesome. She has commenced a letter to thee but has

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not finished it I guess it takes her an everlasting time to write, but when they are finished they are nice. We have finished the stocking business for the present. I think the girls have done very well, considering they had so much to do, with their studies. Mr. Orcutt said to-night that he wished me to take Virgil this term, as he wanted me to be [underline]versed[/underline] in that. I am going to study Analytical Parsing vacation. I have got a new dress; it is a gay one. Mrs. C. picked it out for me. Miss Joy was the young lady who crocheted thy cap. She send her photograph, though she did not wish me to say so, it is very flattering. She is very smart, a good scholar, but very disagreable to me and to most. She wishes thine in return but I do not want her to have it; and I wish thee would send thanks and so on but that thee have none to spare, or had had but a few taken. She would show it to every girl in school & I should not like