What a darling little goose it is! To Not Ⓐemendation to know any better than to send Mrs Brooks’ letter to me without reading it!—when it was left unsealed purposely that the dearest eyes in all the world might enjoy its first perusal. What a —. But I won’t abuse Ⓐemendation my darling—I will leave that to somebody who don’t love her. as I Wh the very ground she walks on, as I do. Why bel bless Ⓐemendation your heart, Livy, you did have a “right” to read it—& you needn’t have been so char diffident about “claiming” your rights. But Ⓐemendation I must not forget to re-inclose Ⓐemendation it to you, for it is written in Mrs. B.’s happiest style, Ⓐemendation diction, & is fired with the enthusiasm & gilded with the graces that distinguish her conversation. I like her all the better, now, because when anybody praises you it unbars the gates of my heart & straightway they swing open wide to give honor & welcome to the devotee. I get all the cuffs & you all the compliments from these congratulating friends of yours, Livy dear, (vide this letter of Mrs. Brooks’ & the Hooker letter to Mr. Langdon), but bless you I can stand it—I don’t mind it—I like it—because it shows that they have a just appreciation of you.1explanatory note And then I know that the reason why I appear so shabbily in their eyes in is that they place me in contrast with you, you flaming sun, you ineffable princess of fairy-land. And so I don’t have any sort of a show. But let them just l◇◇◇t me Ⓐemendation average me along with that vain, ill-natured Ⓐemendation, overbearing Hattie Lewis, for instance, & then they would see me shine. I expect I would just dazzle their critical eyes out. Y Upon my word they are refreshing, these felicitating letters!

“Livy was such a delicate little flower, just in the soil where she grew, nurtured under such genial skies, & blossoming into a lily as pure as that which St. Cecilia, &c &c—”

“ And now you have come & dug her up, & she will necessarily wilt & go to destruction—

That is the general idea of it, you know, but she switched off before she said, Ⓐemendation it, dear good woman.

These folks all say, in effect, “Poor Livy!” I begin to feel like a criminal again. I begin to feel like a “thief” once more. And I am. I have stolen away the brightest jewel that ever adorned an earthly home, the sweetest face that ever made it beautiful, the purest heart that ever pulsed in a sinful world. God give me grace to love & honor, to cheer & shelter it all the days of my life till I die! And when any harm shall threaten it, any pain, or sorrow or affliction brood in the air above it, Heaven give me heart to say, Lord let the blow fall on me—not her.

Keep Mrs. Brooks’ letter for me, Livy dear. How my heart used to sink down, down, down, with a hopeless longing, to hear her talk like this about you, & so make you seem so unapproachable, so unattainable—so far away beyond the reach of my supplicating hands, my beseeching lips!2explanatory note But praise & thanks unto God, whose servant I am, you are all mine, now, darling, & the light of your eyes will never be turned from me nor your dear heart closed against me any more. Let them cuff me & compliment you to their hearts’ content—I just glory in it. I w have looked all through Mrs. B.’s letter for a sort of a crumb of a compliment to me—but no, there isn’t anything but a beautiful Christian spirit of forgiveness toward me for going & doing as I have done, & a disposition to shake hands on that, & say Let by-gones Ⓐemendation be by-gones. Well, all right—I will write her a good hearty letter, & shake hands, & offer right cordially a “warm nook” by our fireside—& when she comes, Livy, I’ll make it about the warmest nook that ever she got into, to pay for this!

But you know me, Livy, darling, & my “talk”—& you know that as long as she says loving, appreciative words about you, it will not be me that will ever fail to give her a royal welcome to our home. Whoever loves you is my friend—with the free privilege of “cuffing” me as much as they want to.

This letter isn’t begun yet—but I have to go to Twichell’s—promised I would. With many a kiss, Good-bye, my precious little Louise.3explanatory note