3

La Vallie Feb 18^th 1855 -

Dear Editor -
Do you like sleighriding? - And do you often
come in rather reluctantly than otherwise from a merry
dash over hills and valleys, to the music of jingling bells
which will keep ringing in your ears long after both
yourself and the ponies are comfortably housed and life
has begun to go on in the usual calm routine?
And then if you apply yourself the performance of some
duty which neglected would sadly disturb the tranquility of
your conscience and perhaps banish sleep from your eyes -
(By the way - I do believe Madam Consciences and [illegible] are
in league for and offence to the one is sure to be taken
in high dudgeon by the other - I mean to refer the question
to the first metaphysician I meet-) Pardon my parenthetical
ramblings. I was going to say in that case you might enter
into the feelings of your humble servant - on this present evening
the more, if after cautioning the rest of the children not to come
within five yards of you for sixty consecutive minutes you
proceed to the accomplishment of your work which we will suppose
for instance is to answer the letters of a correspondent who
has made a troublesome demand upon your mental powers
Just as ^{the pencil you are twirling in your fingers} your [illegible] has completed its forwith revolution while you are