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April 8 a. 3 Dearest Johnny, I have just received your good long letter and had been thinking about writing to you for several days, but was too sick to have the courage to do so. I have been very sick, with influenza for 3 weeks and am only mending a little within the last few days, for a week or ten days it has seemed (to me) to oberve? a bilious type, yesterday morning I had given up, and sent down for Pa, who dosed me all day with rhubarb, to-day I am better, altho' I suffered so much sickness and weakness, with cough &c Pa was all the time telling me I would soon be better but I never expected to get better without some medicine now, my tongue is clearing, my appetite beginning and my cough abating. I hope soon to be well. Pa has had it too and still coughs much, many have been and are still quite sick with it, so much for, how are you? As to my showing your letter, that is all a mistake. I forget how it came about, but, I merely said, that was all over now. John did not mean any thing and had forgotten it, that was all, dear Charlotte is as good hearted & kind as she can be, only there? is a little too much of her, pretty much so of Romaine, only two days ago I was telling Frank, that henceforth we would try to tell Charlotte & Romaine a little less of private affairs, the one cannot help telling her husband, the other her Mother in law, and yet it would seem hardly right they are so kind and sympathizing, but the truth is I hate to have every body know my affairs