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                                                                               Barnstable Aug. '44

Cousin Abby,

                               I place your name at The head of This because it is easier writing to a person than an imaginary correspondent & to address one individually Than a whole family collectively.  But since Chandler seemed to insinuate That my letters will have like Dickens' a 'general circulation' I thereby to prevent, Those disputes which will sometimes arise even in the best regulated families, do devise & give & bequeath This are and precious document to The one who shall most speedily indite an answer hereto. 
                                Having thus comfortably arranged preliminaries I will try to give you some idea of our journey & adventures. We had for company Mrs. Charles Cobb whose child deserved a vote of Thanks from all The passengers as it was so good-natured and quiet. & a Mr. Penniman returning to Lowell. 
                               At Athol we took several more among whom were two Amherst students many of whom seemed to be rusticating in the neighboring villages. We were continually exchanging the prisoners and it was no small part of my amusement as I sat like the veiled lady, in the corner to study the different faces, that successively presented  themselves. Some were plain almost to ugliness, but after a while as they gradually engaged in conversation, their eyes lighted up with the fire of mind and they seemed to have new faces. One face alone was hopelessly ugly, because destitute of any redeeming expression, which after all is the true beauty.  There was one face that would have been, may was, very beautiful, but it would have

[left-hand side and across] Now for my thousand & one messages. For Uncle Stephen, that he will try to come & see us & that he will exercise the virtues of patience and charity if he read this passage of nonsense & that he & all others will think as much as possible on my virtues and kindly on my failings. To Aunt Jerusha, I send a promise of a bundle of recipes especially how to cook tomatoes a delicious vegetable which I hope to see in general cultivation at Warwick & everywhere. To Abby and Mary Ann I promise to send by Charles a tinkling ornament for the head - a toy which seemed to strike their fancies to a degree quite disproportionate to its value. To Samuel many thanks for his goal in getting lilies? litters? a change not to let the dog worry the cat and a general caution against berries and green sopsavines. And what shall I say to Chandler my serious cousin whose hair perchance stands on end at reading such froth having hardly recovered from the horror affright of hearing confess. dancing evening parties and such like enormities. My, that I've two faces. One of which I show to the gay false world. All bright & laughing. The other I reserved for real friends, the "favored few" to whom alone I care to talk seriously, or who care to hear me. Whenever Cousin Chandler can visit his Cape Cod cousin, she will give him a warm welcome. I will if he likes talk nothing but sermons all the time & prove that she can on occasion be quite solemn. To cousin Ann please say that I regretted very much my inability to see her again before I left & I extend to her an invitation which I hope will meet with a better reception than usual that she will make her bridal tour extend to the Cape and if she will write to me I will answer speedily.