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July 9th, '99
My dear Miss Hartzell:
You dear good child to write me again. But dear, if you know how very poorly your "old chappie" is and has been since leaving the south, you would forgive me.
I caught a very severe cold, [ ing], north to Iowa, and had,[page cut off], be here the first. [Won't] it be lovely to be back in Florida again? Do you hear from the Blackman family? Auntie Smith is, [ north?,] the summer?
Now write me very soon, [ very soon underlined], again.
with love your friend, Mary [...cox]
I enclose those pictures of yours and one of, [..+], self on a fishing expedition.
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I'm so very thin that I'm looking something dreadful and, if I keep on, I'll soon, [ word cut off ], be moving around and sitting [in] my bare bones.
Mr., [ os.], Mother and sister are here. Have been for a month and I suppose will be, [ ve], the rest of the summer and I've, [ p], and have them to wait upon. They've spoiled all my plans for the summer, [ ] been writing to all about, [e ral mold obscuring word], [ ugeweuts], to have you come to us leave, but they seem to be, [fixed ?], much. I would love to see you and, [mold obscuring word], me and live over the happy, [spirit ?], together last winter. How sad it is for your cousins and, [page edge torn], [page edge torn], feel for Irene so, for I've been through the agony of seeing my darling baby suffer so, [underlined], long and death take her at last.
I know you are such a comfort to them for you helped me so last winter. The weather here is delightful now, as it always is in summer.
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[corner torn off], as become, [rest of line torn off], and Mr. Knight, [rest of line torn off], write me all about every thing yourself, in particular. Mr. Dilworth is up at the Mines. Will deliver your regards when I see him. Mr. [To?] sends his regards and would like very much to see you again. Are you feeling as well as you were in Florida? Tell me all about yourself. And write me very soon. My dear little sister, your double has just left me. She was with me only a week on way home from Ishpeming Mich. How much longer do you expect to be on this case? [bottom of page torn] Come on up, [bottom of page torn], or Cleveland
Text along right side going up
by boat for you from, [Eittrene ?,] rest of text covered with mold