RKFP-045

Metropolitan Hotel N.Y Sunday Sept '53

Dear Bell I have now been nearly a week in this modern Babel. It seems a month I have seen and heard so much for I have had my eyes open, and ears too, but I be-gin to long for a quiet retreat from the nois and confusion of this giddy crowd. I wish to be again where I can meet a friend who can afford the the time to give me a friendly greeting. The cold mechanical politeness of this place is chilling to a nature like mine: there is no heart in it. Give me the hearty [grasp?] of an honest country-man's hand for all the splendid formality and hypocritical politeness of New York. I never had half so vivid an idea of the insignifficance of the individual[underlined] as since I have been here. The individual man here is of no more importance than a single insect in a hive of bees. He must be su-premely good, great, or wicked to be noticed at all.

Everything here is in the extreme - there is nothing halfway about it. Here you can see the [ne-plus?]-ultra of the wealth and refinement and the quint-escence of poverty and sin. People [illegible] act and talk, and enjoy and suffer in in the superlative degree. There is no place where money is so indispensably necessary to existance and yet where it is so lavishly thrown away. A man need not come here to enjoy[underlined wealth unless he is immensely[underlined] rich. for he would be overshadowed like a stunted tree in the forrest.

I have spent about two days in the Crystal Palace, very much to my benefit and amusement, but I have not had time to give half the things there an appr -ciative examination. There are many other "sights" here that I have not yet seen but I must let then go for this time for I intend to be off for home tomorrow I shall go by via the New York & Erie Rail Road - stopping at Gowanda for the

little lady I spoke of in my last letter Ah, Bell, how I wish that I were going to take you home with me too. I should feel prouder and happier than if I were carrying home half the wealth of Gotham. I never shall be reconsiled to your giving me the slip in such an unaccountable manner - mind I dont blame you for if you couldnt help it, of course. But theres a good time coming Bell and may[underlined] be[underlined] I[underlined] shall[underlined] come[underlined] with[underlined] it[underlined].

I stoped at Utica on my way down here to enquire about poor Charlie. I did not see him, but the Superintendant of the asylum informed me that there was a desided improve-ment in him - that he had not been in a raving condition since the first night that he was there. They are very sanguine of his ultimate recovery, but they would not venture an opinion as to the time it would require to effect a cure It might be a year or it might be two years more or less, but it would never do they said to trust him away from home again or to change the ordinary rou-tine of a quiet life -

I must cut this letter short Bell, as I intend going to Greenwood this after-noon and have no time to spare

Give my love to My Dear Molly & and all others who deserve it or care about it Tell Nelly to write to me if she loves me - no. you need not tell her that for I will not doubt that she loves me whether she writes or not, but I would[underlined] like to have her write to me though.

God keep you Asa