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Ferrisburgh 12th Mon. 17th 1859

When thy very welcome and interesting letter was
received, I did not reply immediately because I hoped that [underline]long talked[/underline]
of visit would soon be made - as our hay-making was over, and other
things looked favorable (to me) for its completion, - and I cherished
this hope week after week, until thy cousin was taken quite poorly,
he remained so several weeks. - after which he found many things need-
ing his attention, and our journey was [underline]indefinitely[/underline] postponed, - [underline]then[/underline]
I ought to have written, if for nothing else but to tell thee, that I felt [underline][sore?][/underline]
and ashamed that none of our house-hold had visited you, - but I did
not for two reasons, I did not like to say those words, and did hope to see thee
at the time of your Quarterly Meeting, - but thou came not to us, and we
were all disappointed, and served just as we [underline][diserved?][/underline] to be, for our remiss-
ness: but I trust thou wilt forgive and love us, still, and visit us when
convenient; and far down in my heart I keep alive the hope that some fine day
we shall find ourselves on the way to Montpelier, - and I do not intend
to relinquish this unless we become unable to travel that far: but it will
not be in [underline]cold[/underline] weather, for that [underline]I[/underline] dare not attempt now, the cold affects
me so much: I will now turn to other subjects, having made a very long
preface; - first our health, - the children - [underline]Ann's[/underline] I mean, have all been
affected by something like canker-rash, - Rowly has been very sick - tho'
not alarmingly so, - the baby very much amiss for several, and Aggy
quite poorly, - the worst of her sickness was while they were in New York
whither she and Rowley had gone with their father - to visit their relatives
and consult a physician on her account, as she had been drooping all
the autumn nearly, - they were absent only a week as she was so unwell.
25th Rowly continues to mend, tho' still confined to the house, - keeps up all day.