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My Worthy Cousin. Dec 4th.
Your welcome epistle "came duly to hand". And as I dislike having my letters lying about waiting for me to answer, I have thus soon; seized upon a few leisure moments to do "that same".
I dreamt last night that father brought a gentleman home with him, and said that he wished to see me. When I entered the parlor, he arose, shook hands, and asked me if "I did not know him". I knew him. The moment he spoke, and said I. It h[strikethrough]is Charlie! He said yes, and spoke of his insanity and of his recovery with perfect composure. God grant that it may prove true.
I am very glad that you do not intend to forget Buffalo. And by the way why can you not as well come here and spend the Winter, and go to school. I may sometime or other visit you; but whether I do or not it i[strikethrough]need not hinder you from coming here.
How does Laura like her school? I did not much expect she would write to me though she prom= ised me she would. My correspondence is as large now as I have time to attend to, so that I do not miss it. Though if she did write I should be happy to anwer her letters.
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I have written to Grandma several times, but as she hears from me so often through the rest of you; I have neglected it of late. I hope you do not make my letters public property. That is hardly fair. I never intend to write anything that I would be ashamed to have seen, still I dislike having my "productions" a subject for criticism.
What is the matter with Mr Bob? Has he become so dignified since his discoveries in "Bugology[underlined]". that he cannot condescend to notice his undistinguished cousin?
We have also had "very fine weather" lately. It is now December, and we have as t[strikethrough] yet had no snow; Neither has the canal been frozen over until this morning, and that only[strikethrough] about[strikethrough] so thin as to break at the least pressure. I have never known it to be so before.
Dec. 5th
Last night we had quite a hea[strikethrough] little fall of snow, but hardly enough to have a good snow-ball before school. I went last night to hear a lecture by Mr. Brace on the "poor of New York". It was very instructive and entertaining. We talk of having a festival at our Sunday School again this winter. We have about concluded to have a very good one or none at all which I think is altogether the best plan. Rodolph will not be home in a year from now. It seems a long time to wait but I suppose
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it must needs be so. He writes that he had for a Thanksgiving dinner, cold beef and bread. If I were as good a Christian as Mrs. Van Nume pretends to be, I would relinquish some of my fine furniture and provide something abcent[underlined] at least for a Thanksgiving dinner. but their is no accounting for the doings of dristocracy.
Dec. 6th.
It has rained during the night and the snow has all disappeared. It looks very gloomy in our school-room this morning. The wind blows from the lake and shakes[strikethrough] shakes the building to the foundation.
Your likeness is very much flatter= ed by all who see it. Rodolph did not know who it was till I told him. He wears a hat and boasts that he can look over my head.
As I have no more to say I will close with love to grandma and Canary, and all "enquiring friends", and taking the good advice of Cowper,
"Tell not as news what every body knows, And, new or old, still hasten to a close."
I remain ever your cousin.
Marie.
Ransom[underlined]