RK-022

Gowanda March 1, 1854 Dear Bob:- Your letter has been received about ten minutes and therefore I have no excuses or apol ogies to offer and as to being lazy that is true and not true but this time I am not lazy nor busy & so Bob I shall write all I can today I have a letter in the desk which I wrote last nite to Major and have been to lazy to send it. (I dont know what I wrote the last sentence for but it is written and so let it go.) We have heard the good news of Charlie and I can tell you that all of us feel as thankful to Good for his recovery as you do. Send him our best love and

good wishes and dont forget to send Aunt Hills too. So you are to be a Naturalist I donot know any thing about it but suppose it to be a very good calling I have always had a great desire to understand all about the works of God or nature but I have always thought that it was a waste of time and study to [illegible] into the reasons why a Bird flys or a Fish swims and all the other mysteries of nature But if it will pay when you have been a naturalist why then it is just as good as any other [illegible] [illegible]. Come here next spring and spend a month or two in this rough region and if you donot find enough rare and curious

things to satisfy your desires then [smudged] you cannot any where. I receive letters from the girls often the speak of you and Major in all. Probably they are to lazy to write as they have received letters from you. I am still in the store and find am likely to be there always. All are well and they would all send love if they knew I was writing to you. Business is not very good now Yours as ever W. Welch