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Monticello Feb 26 1855
Dear Cousin Robert
If you will forgive me this time
for my carelesness in letting your letters lay so long without answering ^them I
will promise to be more punctual in future; but as to writing very
long letters to you I can not promise you that as I am not much of
a letter writer. I would give anything if I could write as well as
the young lady dear cousin Charlie coresponded with; he showed Sister
Belle and I one of her letters and it was beautiful indeed, both in
the writing and in her expressing of her ideas too. Yesterday morning
(Sunday) I awoke and looking out of my window was very much
astonished to see the ground covered with snow and it was still
falling. It is a beautiful spectacle, as you say cousin mine to see
the trees, houses and ground all covered with snow. I admire a
picture or even a story describing a snow storm. You have the
advantage of me in that particular, the snow remains with you a long
time and freezes and then, when the glorious sun shines upon it, 'tis
a very beautiful sight[inserted above], with us tis a transcient pleasure. Yesterday we never
saw the cheering rays of the sun through the whole day. Oh! how
dreary and gloomy would this world be without the goldening
beams of the gorious Sun; how thankful should we all be to the
Giver of all good for such a blessing. What would we be without it.
As the flowers to the bee do sit the sun to us.
Sister Belle's husband[inserted above] has been spending a week with her, tis always a happy time, with us when the letters come telling us she is
coming home, not only with us but the servants also and