.NDA0.MjAzOTA
From William and Mary Libraries Transcription Wiki
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Williamsburg August 28th 1867
My Dear Elizabeth
By the mail
of to day I expected an answer
to my last letter. I suppose you are
waiting to get an answer to yours, and
hence the delay.
Now
for your proposal. What
has the Catholic Church been
doing to you that you want to
swindle it by imposing on it
[an elder?] engaged for nothing
if not seedy [maner?] gentleman. By the
time I got skill enough to [crook?]
with becoming grace my knee
joints in the appearance of
a church dignitary I should be
just old enough & [bumbling?]
enough to furnish a never ending
always beginning fund of
fun & ridicule for the
[unreverential?] [amount the?]