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Memphis Jan. 17, 1861
Thursday Morning
My dear Kate
You know already that I
am an excellent correspondent & I would
have answered your letter much
sooner if I had had time, but I
have been disipating [sic] a great deal lately
& have not seen the folks at home
much of late, for I am gone all day
long & in the evenings I have been
out until three or four o'clock, but now
I will have to stop, for the want of some
place to go. I went to another Hop at
the H & Ladder Hall on Monday night

[sideways]
after you. [Snow?]
sends much love
along with my
canarys. -- the servants
are all well & Ma is
better than she has
been for some time
she takes a little more
care of herself -- Br[?]
has been sick a little
but is now better -- Ed
Ward is to be married
to Miss Eta
Champlain in April.
Write a long letter
& with much love I am yours
affectionately
Bettie
Give my love to
Mr. B & tell him
I will look for a
letter soon.

[page 2]
Annie wore your old pink satin with
pink tarlatan over it & went with Mr
Jim [?] & I wore blue & white tarlatan
& went with Mr [], I never enjoyed
myself so much in all my life – we
did not get home ‘till four o’clock –
the next night we went to the theatre
(Annie with Mr. [Barbour?] and I with
Mr. [?]) to see Mr & Mrs Florence they
played Dombey & Son – I did not like
it much. You want to know if
we had any calls new years day – it
is so long ago, I had forgotten that
it had been – we kept open house &
had only twenty five calls, a great many
of our friends did not go out at all –
I did not enjoy the day much. I
only got one Xmas present & that was
a beautiful picture & roses to match
from Bart Hills. I had almost
forgotten that Evie Lewis sent me a
beautiful hair ring, it is the prettiest
of the kind that I ever saw.
There was a large fancy party at Mr.
Sam Walkers the other night. everybody
wore masks & assumed some character
it was delightful & the only one that
has been here in some time.
The masqueraders were [here?] & night before
last we had a gay time with them, I
knew most all of them. Mrs. Briggs
& Mr. [?] acted their parts exceedingly
well. I am afraid that I won't see
much more pleasure, for everybody
is going off to fight.
Lettie Gregory has not arrived yet, but
I received a letter from her the other
day saying that she would be here

[page 3]
between the fifteenth & twentyth [sic] so
I am looking for her every day now.
She wants me to go to New Orleans
with her. there is a great many weddings
to come soon (so I hear) but I can't hear
who are the parties.
Jack Doyle told me to tell you that his
little niece sends her love to you. I
don't know what its name is yet &
I suppose I made take the same liberty
& send Mollie L[?] son's love to you
too.  Tell Mr Blankenship that I think
he might write to me first, but I
can't write well enough to write to him
if I take pains I would never get a letter
written. I have seen Miss [?] &
intend calling on her as soon as the
walking is good enough. Mrs. Bickford
was here last night. He sends much
love. we spent New Years night with him
Bart, Mr. Lilas, Keep, Doyle &
all send much love to you & always ask