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Almeida's health is pretty good this winter, James enjoys good health, - my health is as usual perfectly good. Lucy is not quite well and happy and very desirous of staying longer than until next spring, she is improving finely in her studies she has just commenced drawing, and makes pretty good progress in it, she is studying History Geometry, Arithmetic & Geography in connection with drawing maps, she is writing through a course of Foster's system of writing: - Do you attend much to writing? Have you any other studies besides Latin & Philosophy? Do you write compositions? Lucy does once a fortnight. - my school is flourishing and pleasant I have 22 or 23 scholars, only 3, under seven years of age, - I have a class of nine girls from 11 to 12 years of age, 4 or 5 of them learn drawing, and I expect to form a class in French this week, I use Comstock's Philosophy: - My terms are from 4 to 10 dolls. per hour. I have had no more than 8 dolls. for any yet, but shall have more for those who study French. We received a letter from Mayo a few days since, he was quite well, he is a member of a debating club, on the, end of the town Lyceum & has access to 2 libraries, but I fear he reads too much, & that it would be better for him to study more of the time. Aunt C wrote that he reads and studys all his time night and mornings, I suppose the school has closed now, & we shall write to him soon, to visit Uncle at Royalston and then come here, and stay as long as Mother & Charles think best - Cousin Caleb spent a sabbath with us, about two months since, he is at Andover pursuing his studies with ardour, though he is employed part of this winter in teaching a school at Harvard; - he is all engaged in the Languages. [written on side]: Mr Caleb Metcalf's family are well, cousin Pelatiah's widow has been with them most of the winter. I conclude you have heard of the sudden death of Col. E. W. Metcalf