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  South Hadley. Oct. 6th 1852 

My dear friend

  Do pardon me for delaying so long to reply to your good letter of August 14th.    I am not among the Choctaws! 
 On reaching home, I found that it was a very underlined: reluctant consent which my father gave to my proposal, and so many weighty objections did I find, among other friends, that, after seriously reconsidering the subject, I decided to break my promise to the Byington, and relinquish the plan I had formed. If I could but see you, my dear girl, I would tell you underlined: all.   I would tell you what was said to me, upon the question that has so perplexed underlined:  wiser heads  than mine, the Slavery question - It was underlined:  not fear of the climate, or fear of homesickness, which kept me among my early friends. But, as in your case, it was my deep seated horror of the system which is a disgrace to our country, and a underlined: sin in the sight of our nation's Preserver.   I shrank from the idea, of living among the poor slaves, without the power of aiding them in any way. The power of adding underlined:  one item to their scanty measure of happiness.    Whether you and I have been doing underlined:  right in this matter, eternity will show - It remains for us, now, to leave the result of our decision to that Providence which directeth all things aright. 

In accordance with my good father's advice, I have returned to our pleasant "Holyoke home", probably to remain two years. How I

in margin You may imagine from the tenor of this letter that I am almost too underlined: happy and underlined: light hearted. I confess I am not very sad to day but am trying to maintain a comfortable degree of cheerfulness, that my room mates may not be homesick, if I can prevent it - Will you dear friend underlined: pray for me, that I may ever cherish a Christian spirit, and live as a Christian ought. Accept much underlined: love and sympathy from your unworthy friend, Nellie