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                                                                                               Bangor Monday June 17th 1839

Dear Folks Unc, et Omne!

I am now laboring under no ordinary calamity, Alas! my pen; my pen! Vats to be done now? To explain, I went out Sat. and bought me six steel pens with a rale cute mahogany hornde? for the round sum of 30 copper cents, paid in good silver coins! Well yesterday I left it on the mantel, in our room, at night. to day noon I wanted it and behold it was not there! Neither in the room: I mentioned the loss to the folks, and little Alba, who had swept out the room in the morning, thinking herself implicated, made a most diligent search for it, but all in vain, it is not to be found upon the premises. The most profitable opinion is that Miss. Walker carried it out with the dirty clothes, and it fell or was lost. I have bought a cloth cap for $1,25, wish I had done it two months ago. It is a real good one, worth two of Josephs,most. It will last me a good while, I guess I guess I shall get along pretty decent for Clothes now, only I ought to have a handsome summer vest, but can do without pretty well I guess The coat is rather large especially about the sleeves and is much longer than they are worn now Otherwise it is a very good garment for Sunday morn It'll do justly well, I guess. I shall get along for pantaloons this summer, I guess pretty well. Your letter, Dear Mother, was very excellent. but rather too short, wasn't it?! I guess I shall get along after a fashion at Composition. I have, written but two yet, one a short and rather hurried on upon the subject of Early Rising, the other a decentish one upon the history of queen Dido, of whom we have been reading some what in Virgil, lately. Don't so much skeert at the copper I guess, I wear it "That old thin coat" does pretty well I guess, I wear it to school when it is warm, although it is so cold and rainy most of the time nowadays that there is a fire in the schoolroom, a good deal of the time The new stock is excellent, rather too deep for me tho there Those collars or dickey, are much too long and too deep too big and round instead of fitted? too fine too I wear them or should if they were good ones to meeting sometimes. Most Affectionately I.S. Metcalf