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Allentown, Pa. July 9th 1852
My dearest Sister, If I have the audacity to ask your forgiveness for so long a silence after the receipt of your two kind letters written just before dear Mother and the rest of the family saving you my dear came North, it is because all of you have spoiled me ever since I knew anything, & therefore the blame must in some measure at least remain with you. Whether you like my logic or not, you cannot deny the main statement in my defense and I shall claim that I have convinced you and am forgiven. Perhaps you have heard from one and another of the family of my various peregrinations since I passed my last examination, which being very well done, I was presented & became virtually free of college June 17th.
Uncle Henry is with me in the office & sends his love - of course all the others would too but none know I am writing. I left [Mall] fat swell in N.H. His last report is perfect but he is getting fast - ordered horses on my bill July 5th & with a friend went on a small spree of his own. Yours ALPK
Expecting Father I ran down to New York one evening & returned to New Haven the next day. Our few last weeks were particularly jolly, the jolliest part of the college course. I met Mother, your gude man & the rest of them as you well know the day after they reached Philad. He has told you of the little that occurred in that big, dull city. We reached this place safely tho' tired. On Saturday the 26th inst. I rose early and by dint of hard travelling reached New Haven at 9 that night. I intended leaving in a day or two, but a little business and the great fascinations which I met with there detained me over a week. I had great pleasure in riding with & visiting the young ladies &c. &c. & with my College friends — There was one very agreeable part, and on July 5th we had our usual picnic, which was this year pleasanter then all before, or any I ever attended. There was scarcely an [allay??] only the old (of whom there were two) and some of the young scolded me for flirting too desperately with one of the prettiest young girls I ever saw, she has such eyes tho' that I pardoned myself
[3] Tell the old man that I was too wide awake to write to the lady I had that affair with when he was in Philad. She came to New Haven two days after I arrived, but I would not go to see her till four days after when I met her at the party. She was so urgent that I took her out in the moon light & performed the part of a man jilt elegantly - told her I did not love her enough &c. When she shed a few tears I thought after all the reputation she has of being a flirt that perhaps she might love me, and I was sorry, but I presume she has done many a poor devil as badly & I think I may say that I will not again play the part of the hypocrite so artfully. I have not the slightest doubt that she has recovered entirely ere this & is burning to revenge herself on me or someone else - to the end she vowed her friendship must ever remain with me, and I of course hoped we would ever be friends. On Wednesday the 7th I left New Haven with Georgie Devereux under my care to take her back to Burlington to school
[4] after her 4th of July visit of three days at home. I conducted her safely and reached N. Y. by 10 o'clock the same night. Yesterday morning I left N. Y. for this place - when I got to Elizabethtown to my chagrin I found the cars would not go for 7 hours! Another chap was caught in the same trap so we became acquainted — E. is the dullest town on Earth. We visited Gen Scott's house & then whiled away the time in smoking, reading, drinking cool drinks, and saying devilish smart things. We got to Easton (the terminus of the railroad) at 9 1/2 & the cursed little stage for this place was full. I slept there -- and taking a Rockaway at 5 1/2 this morning got here in three hours and found dear Mother and all the rest well & delighted to see me.
I was tired & preferred to do some writing to joining them in a drive to one of the neighboring towns this afternoon where Mother, Aunt Mary, G. V. & the two boys have gone under the charge of Mr. Longnecker. Flora stayed at home as usual.
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On Monday Longnecker and I with some others are going out Woodcock shooting. We all will leave here on Wednesday next for New Haven via New York. We will remain in NH. till the first week in August & then scatter (some of us) some where. We have not yet determined but I hope to take Mother at least on a trip to Niagara etc. Our last news from California May 31st all well. I hope the Old Man enjoyed himself in New York more than he did in Philad. I should like to have been with him.
Write me soon Dear Sister -- Give much love & many kisses to Anna, Willie, Bell & my renowned god-son The King Couper. To the Old Man my love, I suppose you give him kisses enough of your own. I will write O'Bourke in a day or two but you need not tell him for I have been so negligent he won't believe you. Regards to Dunham, Hamilton & others who deserve them. Dearest Sister I grieve that you cannot be with us, but know you are happier with your husband and children. Write Soon. Your most aff. bro. H.S.R. King