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                                                                                                                           Milo Dec. 22nd 1845

My Dear Son, I will begin a letter to you tho' my ink is so poor that I fear you cannot read it. We had a letter from (written thanksgiving day) and another, last night - we should have another a little sooner but thought best to wait till we heard from you at Richmond before we directed a letter there. I thank you very much for writing often - you complain that we do'nt - Tis reason that you should write most than you are more in the way if it and have more of incident & variety - we plod on in the same dull round you can imagine just how it is. Charles returned from Bangor last night they are all doing well tho' he says Joseph looks very pale - Ann complains that he will not sing laugh play or chat - they had company one evening and wanted him very much to make out the number to play a game of goose on catch the third one and couldn't prevail on him to stir so she made him hold Mrs Silvesters babe & she play'd. I wish he would unbend a little sometime & think it would do him good. Did J tell you that when C went to B. a while ago with a wagon - when he had got all loaded to come home with a bbl of flour 1/2 llb of Molases 2 bags boxes & etcetera in abundance - Donkey got frightened by some boys while he stept into a store and run & brought up in a gutter against the side walk so sudden that it whapt the wagon and horse exactly upside down the horse lay heels up on the side walk soon as C. spoke to him lay quiet till he could unharness and with help turn'd the whole right side up - it rack'd the wagon but he rig'd it up and came right on home without the loss or damage of an article. Ann's school is flourishing the house is done and she moves into it in a week or two. Charles is very much confin'd by the care has as much as he can do to get wood ad do the chores here and at Almeda's She does not have any boy this winter she does as good herself has rather a hard time -children dont go to school but perhaps they will some.

  You say that you begin to think the attempt to go through College now rather a silly business allowing that it was (for the sake of the argument) you did not undertake it rashly nor as I hoped without deliberation and prayer for guidance & what is more you acknowledge you've had the blessing of God on your efforts so far. Your sentiment in regard to respon