I have been so busy I could not well write, & Livy has been too sick too write. We are very sorry to hear you have been suffering so. We supposed you were much better. I would have written long ago if I had not supposed you were getting along well. I have been buried in my book all this time, doing my best to get it done, & meantime Livy has been running down & getting weak, in consequence of overwork in re-arranging the house. I finished the book to-day, & just then Mrs. Perkins came in & said Livy must be taken away from household cares at once. I had been trying to persuade Livy to go home, before—but now I ceased to persuade, & tomorrow we leave for Elmira, very much against Livy’s desire. The children are well. We leave them here, & shall hope to be back with them in a fortnight.

We got the things safely that came from Fredonia, & they happened to be just the articles the children were longing for. I thought we had written about it, but I suppose that in the press of worries & bothers the matter was overlooked.

We have heard from Sam, & he sent me a book I very much wanted.

I shall be head over heels with proof-reading in Elmira, but I had rather do that than be the slave I have so long been in writing the book. But I hope I shan’t be so remiss again in the matter of writing to you, Ma, & I also hope that the next news we get from you will tell us you are free from the ills that have cost you so many distressing nights & days.

With love to all, from Livy & me—