p.

I am getting quite fleshy, to what
I was three weeks ago. My pres-
ent weight is 156 lbs. This is 30,
less than my usual quota
but it must be about 20, more
than my minimum. -
I suppose that, before now, I
am out of the Society of Friends
though I have not yet been
informed of it. I suppose I
should receive notice of the
proceedings of the Society in
my case, Shall I not? My
ideas have not changed yet
on the subject of enlisting &
if I were free & [underline]well[/underline], think
I should come again. I have
been reading a work of J. T.
Headly, since I came here.
It is the Life of Gen. Havelock.
Though strictly religious, he
was he was one of the most
ambitious & successful of the
Generals of the British Army,

[page break]

Douglas Hospital,
Washington, Aug. 23
1862.

Dear Mother:

Thy letter of the 15th
is before me, now and demands
my attention this morning.
I am very thankful for all
such news as comes from
home. Letters come to me
now pretty directly & I think
I have got all you have sent
here & to Carver. My health is
still improving, slowly, but
my hand is worse, though
not as bad as it has been,
many times, at home. It is
not painful & there is no sore-
ness, about it, but the cords
are contracting, so that it is
not comfortable to try to use
the fingers much. My writ-
ing shows this plainly.