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especially for thee - John Bentley
in particular. Sandy Spring has two
upheavals at present - one a proposed
"National Bank", and the
other a dispute over the [Abert?]
property which has been bought by
affluent people and they are quarreling
over possession - was there ever
such a place. The country is
perfectly lovely though the apple
blossoms are out of bloom, or
going out of bloom. Mrs. Moore spoke
of Dr. [Ebrey?]'s portrait h as a
[?] thing so the old man has
evidently not [lacked?] water as we
thought possible. He comes down
here to call every Sunday after
noon and Mrs. M. does hate regularities.
I think [thee] will enjoy talking
to the old man while painting him,
and he will simply falll in love with
thee. Mrs. M. also says that Mr.
Warner has not been at all well
since his return from Cuba &
is probably holding off till Fall

and cold weather comes. She thinks
it would be all right to advise
him of the change of [Studio. I
am reading "The Makers of Florence"
- [thee?] and Mrs. Moore are to go to
Italy for a Summer soon to see
the country, and prospect for our
future residence there. The Dr.
wont let me drive so I [potter?]
around the place for exercise
and John [Stockett?] and I talk
gardening etc. I do love to garden.
Jean's devotion to me
is great - it is so manly and
yet he is so loyal to Mrs. Moore -
he has good stuff in him, and I
am moved to recognize that the
best part of him begins with a B.

Oh what does thee think John
Townsend was here yesterday
and I found he was a stamp
collector and we talked stamps
all the afternoon - it appears that