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Belle Air Feb 26th 61

My dear John,

You will perceive by the date of this that I am now at Pa's,but was not (as you supposed) when you wrote to me, I came up a few days after I received your letter.

I had been waiting to hear from you for some time and was getting quite impatient when your letter reached

me, but when I remember your nume -rous duties, and your many correspon -dents I could not complain. You can -not imagine how anxious I was to come to Belle Air before I could get here, after the [fever?or River?] subsided the roads were in such dreadful order that we could not travel. Sister Bettie came up with me, she went down yester- day, and I expect to go down the last

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of the week, We were all so much delighted to hear that you thought of coming hoe the last of March, I hope you will make your arrangement to come though Middlesex as I want to see you so much. Papa sends a great deal of love to you and Jim, ["?] he says if you think that Jim can leave College for a few days without too great a sacrifice, that you can tell him he may come home with you provided he will be very economical afterwards, he says you must write and let him know and when you expect to come." Ma sends enclosed $5 of Jim's hog money," she says tell him as he is coming home she thought she would keep the other until he gets here, and that he must save as much of it as he can to help to ay his expenses home. The Church will meet at Hermitage next Saturday to elect a Pastor, and I suppose you will hear from them pretty soon. As to your

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coming to Middlesex I hardly know what to say. As far as I am concerned I would be too glad to have you there, and it would be equally as pleasing to Dr Woodward, but when I think of how young you are and of your inexperience, I fear that you would have some trouble, the Church as a majority