Henry and Elizabeth Baird papers, 1798-1937. Box 2, Folder 4

Brunswick Sat. eveg. Jany 13th 1860

My dear Friend I do wish you could see me must this moment, or rather, I see you! I am sick and have been lying on the sofa all of the afternoon; for the last two hours I have been thinking most intensely (it's about eight o'clock in evening) Some of my thots have been unpleasant and I have got so excited & restless that I have quite desperately taken my port-folio in hand and we will see what the result of this effort may be First, then, my dear Mrs B. let me ask you if you received a letter from me last Sept. ? I wrote you about the last of the month and have looked for an answer ever since! My impression is that 'twas not much of a letter & I need not wonder that you dont reply(!) but then it was often my usual "style" & heretofore you

my dear friend - God bless you, Bella Wed. morn - Please write me a few lines soon My regards to all of your family & all friends. A.M.

have condescended to notice my efforts The thought has occured to me, of late that possibly you did reply and the letter has fallen into other hands! I can imagine of hands whose curiosity might have tempted him not to have given it to me after taking it from the "Box". I hope my fears are unfounded Can it be that you are sick all of this while, I trust not. I will now try to talk with you a little while in the old way. For myself, I am in the midst of a cold winter and am glad to know it is half gone. I often think of Dr. Kane's second winter in Arctic Regions. Oh how much they suffered! By the way have you seen in your papers the account of the falling of Pemberton mills in Lawrence Mass? It is terrible, horrible to think of only think, Mrs B, how long since I have heard from you. My nephew Emery, passed a month here in Nov. We were glad to see him he spoke

of seeing you just before he left the Bay &c he does not like the west at all! He did not look much as I supposed he did - less like his father & more like his mother than when a boy. People here, all said that there was striking resemblance in manner & expression to our family. He is very intelligent, & very agreeable, and we enjoyed his visit - his intellectual developmement was not like the maternal parent, but did you ever notice the form of the back of his head? It was precisely like hers just over the ears, in the thickness through the head. she had the widest head, behind, that I ever saw on a lady. It almost frightened me when I first saw her, it seemed so strange in contrast with her narrow shoulders. Emery is now stationed at Savannah, Geo., or that is his headquarters. How happens

it that Mrs Merrill leaves her house and lots of land! has she sold them all? Oh I do wish I could see you & talk a while. How are your family, Husband, children and grnadchildren! Oh me, how time flies I never have felt old in spirit, 'till lately (I was always old in experience!) but my trip to Ky. was a direct injury to me; I cannot bear much change & then it must be gradual both to mind & body. When I look at Sister Frances children and see how they get along. Leonard 13 yrs. & Fannie 9 yrs. I am astonsihed, and really think I must be "up & doing", if I expect to live to see my family grown up!! I have always had a vision looming up in the dim distance, that I should yet see a "fac-simile" of myself(!) one, tho', that all beholders would promounce a "revised & improved edition"! My sympathies have been so absorbingly & unconsciously bestowed upon the Earle girls, that now, as they have got to where they dont need me, and in one sense beyond me, I feel quite lost and as tho' I had nothing to fall back upon, that I am quite exhausted; the feeling of being old in spirit, sometimes almost desolate at heart, that Providence has darkened my [?uth] & spirit in so many ways I see a general moving & find they are retiring to bed, so I think I must close. I hope I shall find that my excitement has abated - good night.

Milwaukee 18 Jany '60 H.P. Baird Esq: Dear Sir Recollecting the interest you took in Mt. Vernon matters last winter - and hearing of your influence among the Masons - I gather courage and write you though a stranger. regarding an object which I am necessarily anxious to accomplish - viz interesting the Masons as a body in Mt Vernon. As the property is soon to be in the possession of the Association. and Wis: has not given her share I am making renewed efforts and desire to accomplish as much as possible as I leave for Europe in Spring. Green Bay has done nobly