p.

the term closes a week from next Wednesday. I am
going to stay here during vacation, which is only two
weeks long. I should be very busy had I not so much
work to do [then?]. I am getting along very well this
term in my studies I think. Though I never shall
try to take so many again. I shall probably not teach
any in the winter though I do not know, how it will [be?].
Miss Crampton and Mary Smith have had a regular
pitched battle over thy picture. One declared she should
[?] and the other said she should not, but I still
retain a peaceful posession of it. - - - - -
O [?]! I am awfully tired to night, and I wish I
could be at home a little while, though I think
it would seem very lonely there now. The whole
neighborhood must seem strange with all its boys
gone excepting Ben and John Putnam. I suppose
that uncle Nathan and lady will honor our
home with their presence this winter. I should not
care to be at home with this in consideration, and
I am afraid it will be a loss to mother to change
Jennie for them. Guess Thomas will not like it
very well either. I do not know whether James
is back at Morrisville this winter or not. He
likes them very much and they like him I hear.
I think Mr. Blanchard, if he did leave his com-
pany for the reason thee mentioned, has [lacked?]
in manly patriotism, very different from what
I and all the rest of his friends expected [in?] him.

[page break]

One of our scholars died very suddenly last week,
the whole school attended her funeral [exercise?].
It was very solemn to us all, and I hope will
do us good. She was a lovely interesting girl.
I have not heard from Timothy this long time, do
not know as I am going to again. Suppose some-
thing of the delay may be owing to the irregu-
larity of the mails. I have not a particle of news
to write. Here is a [G?] cap, or a night cap,
or any kind of a cap for thee, one of the girls
crocheted it for me, or rather for thee I guess. She
said tell him a girl did it who honors the vol-
unteers and would gladly be one herself if she
could. I am afraid it is not large enough, though
it will stretch some. I wish I could send thee
something more, does thee want a pair of
mittens? I have nothing new to write at all. I
wish I could do something, that was worth any
thing. Nancy is sitting here writing as sober as a
[deacon?]. She has not been very well, but is better
or would be, if she took care of her health. We have
had snow about two weeks, but is almost all
gone now. I have not been out of the yard since
snow came, and as for a sleigh ride, that is out of
the question. They are to send a box from the
other village to their co, but I am afraid that if I
should send anything it would not reach thee,
a good many of our girls are sick now, but I am
tuff as a [?].