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 My Dear Son I want to talk with you about Joseph but I hardly know what to say he hardly allowed me to say any thing about him i. e. he seems to prefer to have nothing said to him of of him about his health therefore if I send this it shall be without his knowledge. He wrote to you you know the he was growing perceptably weaker he certainly is in some respects yet I dont know as I percieve difference except in his arms he cannot now move his left hand scarcely any without the help of the other one - he has not been out to eat with the family for several weeks he can possibly lift his tumbler from the table to his mouth but it appears to be is very difficult for him eats mostly with a smallest spoon that I have bought for the purpose. Yet I am not certain that he has (even his arms) failed any faster than at any time before but we should percieve it more now he is so week you know. It seems as if he wouldn't be able to feed himself a great while longer - but on the other hand Charles says that he can stand stronger or with less help than when he first began to take care of him. but probably if he is really weaker Charlie would not percieve it so much - he can lift him easier because he has got us'd to it. That's the reason that Alfred thought he was getting better. He seems just as he always has  contented and happy keeps his mind fully occupied all the time with reading studying or something I have been trying to persuade him not to read so much It seems as if he reads with a more intense thinking and interest than most people so much so that he can remember and tell it all over. His mind is such that he cannot feel quite