53

San Francisco Cal:
May 15th 1852

My own dearest Sister

Your last affec-
tionate letter under the date of "April 5"
came to hand by the last Steamer. —
and as you know very well how glad
I was to receive it. I will just go on
with this to be hurried letter.

You must indeed have been alarmed
when Willie swallowed that marble
[gap] generations of our family to
be so greedy that they will swallow
every thing that they put into their
mouths. You remember the twelve &
a half bit that Lord took the liberty
of sending into his stomach one fine
Summers evening. [gap] sucking of
marbles. Tell Mr. Wm. Couper that
I am "man of the world" enough
to wish to the Lord I was back at
home "plunking at the middle
man from [??]" in a small
game of marbles" - with him
this minute. - seeing him & Dunham
puffing away & swaring they have not
to a closen the top button of their pants