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My dear Father, I take my pen in hand to write my last letter from Lebanon Springs. When I last wrote home I was expecting to be home by this time. But I have lingered here from one day to another, not likeing to give up the wate, until I felt myself more improved than I have as yet. My health is better than it was when I came here, but I feel yet far from well. Mrs. Gore?, the lady who has acted as the physician to this establishment, left for N.Y. last Friday. Before she went I had quite a conversation with her about my case, and she wrote me some directions to follow after I went home. Afterwards I rode with her and other companions to Pittsfield (7 miles) where they were going to meet the cars. Our road lay over the mountains, and I thought I would like to have a short sleigh ride & enjoy the mountain air. Yesterday I got a note from Mrs. G? enclosed in a letter to her mother, who is here. In it she gave me some additional advice. She says she has thought much of my case since she let. She considers my case more difficult and delicate than she did when I first came. She writes, "I wish you could come to Dr. [Shew's?]] for a few weeks. I think it would be the best thing you could do. .. .. I feel anxious that you should be for a few weeks where you can have good & experienced medical advice. I will do all I can for you if you can come here, as I shall I expect to be near here, but not here" (i.e. at Dr. Shew] -- Dr. Shew is the editor of the "Water Cure Journal," and has published two works on Hydrotherapy. I have made up my mind that I will go to N.Y. and start tomorrow. If I could I would consult you first. But I cannot. If I thought that you would be unwilling for me to take this step I should be very unhappy. But I feel it very important for me to get my health. For the last two years I have not done one year's work bodily, nor half one year's mentally. I have an abhorrence of taking drugs. So I hope you will not