RK-275

57 [circled] 11 1857

Anna April 16^th

Dear Father

I rec'd yours of last monday (13^th) to day. I am very sorry to know you are feeling so badly - or were feeling so badly when you wrote.

It may not be right in me to say so to you; but father do you not permit yourself to fall into a mood so meloncholy that it makes you sick by itself.

Why need you trouble yourself because you cant work - that is - why need you think it necessary for you to work? Of course when one feels that they might be doing good, they cannot cheerfully submit to anything that prevents

their working. If you must loose your time for a few weeks or even months why 'tis bad enough for you, but 'tis' not necessary to borrow trouble about others. I would rather go home tomorrow than that you should feel so badly at the idea you ought to work and cant. But did not the boys do every thing last spring? I certainly did not help much. I dont see why Charlie and Major are not doing everything all night without you.

And we all know that Charlie does not in the least think you ought to work at all.

But I fancy you are thinking too much on one subject and that your own il ill health bodily and, the consquent ^{lack of} mental lack of energy now I've often heard you say a patient could kill himself

57 2 [circled] 13 by imagining himself dying or keep himself sick by the imagination when he otherwise might at once be well. Can you not perhaps apply it to your case? Of course with such a disease as you have had the bad weather must always affect you but make allowance for this and consider well whether tis right to come to your present conclusions

I hope to hear of your feeling in another [illegible] by the next letter.

I have to day written to mother.

Col Ashley wants you to come here and stay at his house - or go about with him and see if twill not do you good - He wants to make a bargain with you

too he says - He urges your visiting him very strongly. says make his house your home - He suggests that the I.C.R.R. might pay you well for articles praising south Ill. He says go to Mr Osborne and tell him you have a mind to visit south Ill. and ask what he would think of some articles etc. etc. - You have not had a fair look at the country yet - Better try it on. That is if you dont feel able to do anything at home. If you dont come down here now better calculate to next June - I am quite in love with this country.

- I am in a hurry Now I wish Charlie would put up several of the finest

57 3 [circled] 15 evergreens and send them by express to Col. Ashley If you think as a present from the nursery or from me as the case may be If you think it worth while to present them for the sake of the advertisement here do so, if not charge them to N.W.N. per me. I am staying here with Col Ashley and saving far more than the amount for the N.W.N.

I would think it very well to pack the roots of one seperately and mark it "Mr Wiley" and Ill get him to leave it in his store a few days and then give it to him - 'Twould bring good fruit. The apple trees that died so gave people ^here a bad impression of our nursery - we must keep it before them in some