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[leave?] us there without restoring the house to some degree
of order preparatory to our keeping house, if house-keeping it
may be called to live without a responsible [head?]. So we
made a "compromise" Lloyd returned alone after standing a
week with us & I am to go with the family about the second
week in next month. We have not yet been able to find
a suitable woman. The travelling is so impossible by reason
of the great amount of snow that we have done no more than
make enquiries for one but as soon as the roads are passa-
ble something more [effectual?] must be [attempted?], but the
prospect of any good degree of success is very small. Mary &
Maryan are still here except that the former went home to
attend to the [kind?] [?] for which we have all been vaccinated.
She has been absent since 6th day last & is not yet able to do duty
though better. We expect Mary will stay with us & the other [will?]
leave whenever we find one better qualified to perform the
offices of housekeeper.

Ann & the children went about two weeks ago to Shelburne to make
dear Charlote & the children a visit. They were detained by the great
snow so that instead of being from us one night as she intended
they were gone [underline]three[/underline]. Brought Willy with them who has remained
here since. The children are all passing through a singular
experience - something like chicken pox but not that, as it is
somewhat different & those who have had the chicken pox are not
exempt from it. The eruption is distinct & the spots are large as a
pea attended with great itching, fever & in some instances sore-
ness of the throat. Willy was the first taken then [Aggie?] they are better
now. Rowley & Fanny have it. We thought at first it might be

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the effect of vaccinaiton, but some children in this town
have had it severely who had not been vaccinated. We were at
first somewhat alarmed by the strange visitor but we now think
it will soon pass off.

Thy account of the doings & movement of the various members
of thy dear household was very welcome & interesting & thou judge
rightly in supposing we should be glad to see the note from thy
soldier boy but we can hardly as yet agree with him in acccord-
ing so much merit to McClellan for his long-continued policy
of "Masterly inactivity". We certainly should regard a [underline]"bloodless[/underline]
victory" with a much higher degree approbation than one achieved
through great slaughter & carnage when the ultimate object is
thus attained, but [grim?] War is a business which must necessa-
rily involve great risk if not actual loss of human life, &
many of us at the north, it may be through great [underline]"ignorance"[/underline],
think that the holding that [next?] Army of the Potomac for so
many months in utter idleness has resulted in the loss of life
quite as fearful as would have happened in more active [service?]
& if this great army has, after such long delay permitted the rebels
of Manassas to escape only to deal more fatal blows upon some
other divisions of our forces, the laurels on McClellans brow may
fade before being fairly adjusted. I thank thee for sending
the note & will return it to thee as I know thou will wish
to preserve it. To recompense thee in some measure - or rather
because I think it will be welcome to thee as a beautiful tribute
to the memory of our beloved departed I will transcribe for thee
a letter recd from our excellent friend Charles C Burleigh -
Among the few letters I have written since our [loss?] was one to my

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