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   Charleston, May 2nd, 1870

Dear Sister

   What an unreliable correspondent I am growing to be.  I have an unanswered letter from home that has been silently pleading for attention a number of days, also one from Mary.  I am busy, that is my only excuse, and I am sure you will all like that better then if it were I am sick.  I wish I could have you here to breathe this summer air.  How would you like to sit at table with a platter of roses just before your plate, as I have done for at every meal of late?  Week before last we had deep shaded roses - a few lighter ones verbenas and honeysuckle - after that just honeysuckle and white roses.  now the dish if filled with glosy green and the rosiest of rosy roses, the gift of one of the boys in Mrs. Ford's class.  There are not many flowers in the grounds of the home but the school and S.S. children keep the house well furnished with boquets.  We have a fine round bed in the yard before the school in which are set out a variety of verbenas and some other things which will unclearly a little longer after the planting.  Saturday,