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Dear Brother & Sister: A few more hours and I could date this letter January 1, 1862. I have just received your letter and believe me when I assure you that I said confound the pencil at least ten times before I finished reading the letter. After holding my head as near the candle that I scorched my hair most outrageously and after guessing at two thirds of the words I made out to finish reading that letter written with a pencil- an article I always detest unless one is writing some love letter which he or she desires to have go into oblivion as soon as it is once read by the cherished idol. Luckily I'm not so situated as to make it at all necessary for me to use a pencil for such a purpose. I was just wishing that I could hear from home when the mail came in & brought your letter and I was very glad (though written with a pencil) to get it; but I will take this occasion to express my utter abhorence to pencils. Accept my thanks for your wish that I may have a happy new year; and please take the same wish from me to yourself. Many a new year has commenced when we could wish our friends