Letters of Rev. John W. Alvord

[G CNS] I hope Charles will talk quite plain when I come back, & that Julia will have have learned to read some. Tell her that her father ^loves her very much &^ wants to have her learn. Be especially careful about their eating green fruit. I suppose you will have been to Winsted before receiving this & expect to hear you tell of having a pleasant time. Write me all about every thing. Give particulars of the Revival there & also write all you hear from S. Boston good, bad or indifferent. I shall correspond only with you as I must avoid writing all I can (only as I intend writing Deac. Samuels & the Sabbath School over). Direct your letters as we planned, (through Baker & Monsell of Boston) untill you hear again. I find everything pleasant on board the ship. All are especially kind to me & the Captain seems to understand his business perfectly. It is wonderful how skillful all hands are in working the vessel & how strait the course to his place of destination. When we made Fair Island (the first land ^we saw, one of^ the Orkneys) she was pointed exactly right. It was, so when we came in sight of the Hage, also the Scar at the entrance of the Cattegal. ^(19^th)^ We had a bad night last night among these shoals and locks it being dark and rainy -- but this morning the wind became fair & we are soon expecting to see Elsinore. Our stop there will be but half an hour & then on into the Baltic. Our ship is very vast & the Capt. is desirous of getting there the first out this Spring. I suppose we have gone past 300 vessels since we started, which were coming the same way as ourselves, 150 at least since we entered the Cattegal. You can hardly have any idea of the number of vessels in these waters. Some 50 or 75 are now in sight -- most of them large vessels -- & going to some place up the Baltic.(7 ^oC p.m.) The wind died away a few hours, & we supposed we we should not get in this evenging, but it springs up fresh again & we shall soon be there if nothing happens to prevent. I had dropped my pen, but now after tea resume it again. (You would smile to see our tea table but everything is very nice.). I am not sick at all now, though we have rocked about a great deal since yesterday -- nor has my head ached any to day. Ezra is quite well & sends his kind regards. He has his violin along & a number of music books & we