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New Albion Dec 16^th 1855 -

My dear naughty neglectful cousin Doody

You said to me
once, "if I fail to answer your letters, just jog my memory,"
Well that is just what I am not given to doing - generally -
because when any one neglects to answer a letter of mine, I think
the omission is due to indifference, and so I intrench myself
behind my pride, of which I have a great amount - (too great for
my happiness I find sometimes -) But with you when I have
a cousin's title to lay aside formality. I intend to appeal to
TITLE(?)
your conscience as well as memory. I dont expect a very large
share in your consideration which is directed with hunting,
horses, dogs, insects, reptiles &c ^{as usual I suppose,} (whose merit lies in being ugly
and peculiar,) as well as other correspondents in whom you
are of course more interested than in Cousin Annie - just as she
has friends who occupy a warmer corner of her heart than
Cousin Bob, but by whom she does'nt like to be forgotten never-
the-less.

What are you doing this winter? Attending school, I suppose.
I am teaching a small private schoool about a mile from home.
I am very pleasantly situated. I board in a very pleasant
family, and go home as often as I want to see my mother,
which is about three times a week usually. I teach Grammar, with
Meteorol^ogy, Geography, Chemistry, Physiology & French.