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I am glad you left your books here. Don't know what we should have done this winter without them. I never did pine so much for something to read as winter before last when I was here at home, and the summer following at La Grange. Is'nt it aggravating when there are so many good books in the world, to be so situated as to be deprived of the benefit and comfort of reading them? I am if anything more than usually hurried with work this winter, but I do read evenings constantly. We have very little company, and go from home but little - nowhere to go - Baptist preaching once a fortnight in the S. of S. Hall, which arrangement people generally dislike. The brother in law of Mr. Jones ( McGregor) hires the hall himself. Mr. Sewall will probably preach four times in the course of the year commencing in June last. The Teachers Institute I did want very much to attend - but - could not. Olive and John Furber, Stephen Kittredge etc. went. Had a very interesting time. Mr. Gillan from N.Y. and several other big folks there. Good many strangers. I am thinking of going to Bangor to spend two or three weeks by and by. Suppose I can go and return without expense. You say Kibils are "miserable things,." "Sour grapes," eh? for you and I! I should much like a few, at any rate when I got to B. Samuel has business - scaling I believe - at Orono a somewhere down that way, to do which he will leave Milo every Monday morning, and return sometime last of the week, so I can probably get a ride to Bangor, if I wish to go - only he has got an abominable contrary horse. One Jos. took for debt - you know about it, I guess. It has been here two or three months, ever since you went away, till Eliab was up week before last and took it back. He and Charles tried all one day and could not make him go. Would throw himself down, and 'stay put' in spite of all their efforts and castigations. Samuel liked the beast I suppose and bought him for 75.00. He seems to have a passion for Donkeys, judging from his partiality for the old Pony and me! I will wait till I know when before I ask you to come home next Spring! But you will certainly make your calculations