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P.Office

                                                                                                     Bowd. Coll. July 4th, 1845

Dear Brother

   I was gratified the other day, Wed. July 2d by receiving a letter from you. It was, to me, the first fruits of the new postage law. It was of course but single postage, 5 cents. The new postage depends only on the weight. If in twenty peices a letter is only single postage if it weighs less than 1/2 oz.  The heaviest letter paper you ever saw probably does not weigh over 5/16 oz.  So you can always send 1 1/2 sheets single. Such paper as this I think 2 sheets. At any rate they have letter paper advertised 4 & 5 sheets to the 1/2 oz. It pleases Students finely to received letters containing a fine fold of bank bills at single postage. Many such come preparatory to the glorious Fourth. The Students are about half gone today, some to Boston, some to Portland, Saco and every where else in this part of the State. Men are here perhaps for the rain yesterday, but most of them will go this afternoon over to Topsham, down to Harpswell, or the salt water or Somewhere. I, for poverty, expect to remain here,

There is to be a grand fair. Young Ladies fair, here, this eve. Object, help build the new church. I shall make an excuse for not attending that, being for such a purpose, it is held in a hall belonging to a Rum Tavern. There was one last term in Commons Hall; but I went not.

 Your letter was quite interesting, but some part of it, related more to your business, private & auction sales, commissions, consignments, and so forth than to yourself, circumstances and feelings, or the state of your brethren. Not to say that the former was not interesting to me; anything whatever connected with you or your circumstances