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of the household are in usual trim except the
writer who feels this spring with the force of practical
demonstration the truth of the threadbare expression so
often made with careless indifference - that we are all grow-
ing [underline]old[/underline]. Though I am now much better I was for
several weeks almost nearly confined to the house with
a return of my old difficulty in the chest attended with
[slightly?] increased activity of the pulse dryness of the mouth &
throat & expectoration of the character I have so often des-
cribed to thee as resembling the white of egg partially
coagulated & loss of flesh. With the coming warm weather
I expect to attain my wanted condition. In addition
I have another little matter which I must mention tho
I think no one is disposed to allow it much import-
ance, [underline]I not not[/underline]. Thou mayest recollect a little sore
on my left cheek bone when thou left us - this
has never resolved but if any thing rather increases, the
orifice is the size of a medium pea, discharges a
small amount of yellow matter & is sometimes
attended with slight smarting pain for thy comfort
I will add I do not think it has any of the indica-
tions of Cancer, tho it seems strange to me that it
does not heal. On its account I almost entirely
abstain from hay & I am in other respects more
circumspect in my diet. Robt. E. is still in the
vicinity of N.Y. boarding, since Lucy's removed to [Va.?]
with Henry Hawley her brother-in-law - a pleasant family