RK-286

Anna April 25 Saturday

Dear Charlie;

On my return from the bottoms last night I was delighted enough to find a batch of letters for me - But I was made to feel very sorrowful when reading them - gloomy accounts they give of your prospects though the last, written the fore part of this week told a little better story. - Charlie I feel right ashamed of myself - I have felt very bad homesick and blue (I do'nt object to the homesickness) when I suppose I ought to feel jolly glad to be at just the work I want to. But I believe tis dyspepsia or some other ail that keeps me feeling thus - anyway I will overcome it - I have no right to feel 80

when I think of what times you must have had.

Father I see by the last letter, is feeling better - He complains that his brain do'nt work - Did he not use to tell us not to fret if ours didnt, for that was the way to prevent it's working.

He feels badly that he cannot do more which hurts him He ought to try to look on the better side of the case.

I must say I think he sometimes lets himself get to feeling gloomy needlessly - Why not he take it easy? You and major certainly did every thing last spring. The fact of bad sales is sad enough but there is yet time to [illegible] vegitation is all behind here - It is warm now and like to continue so but there was a hard frost two nights since down here - things can hardly be ahead much at the north

2 Ill try hard to get some orders from here - I have not time enough to do all I would like to - I am in fact not collecting well on account of the backward weather - I must make myself busy now tis warm - I have worked steadily enough so far -

I shall go to Cairo on Monday the 27^th - so please write to me there till May 5^th as I shall stay there two weeks

I go there to skin birds as that will be about the best point.

I want alice to skin some birds and Ill pay her a bonus of $10 or so for that and for superintending the collecting - She must not neglect any oppertunity to help you, for this though -

train coming Bob