[A few paragraph breaks added for ease of reading. Capitalization and punctuation preserved as much as I have been able to decipher.]June 9/65 - 9 Oclock A.M.
Dear Clara
I am at the Shop but have just come from the House & which there went into the parlor & Saw your white dress which reminded me of writing to you. The sun is Shining very warm. found mother Sewing in the bedroom, with front blinds all closed So that She looked very comfortable. Children all gone to School. Your mother Say[s] how about the catalogue? why don't they come along. She Says it would be a real pleasure to write you if it were not So much of a [labor?]. She would have much to say, but would have you understand the reason. She Says [...] again to your being at home to help her not to give yourself any anxious thoughts on the [point?]. If we were Sick Such a thing might be desirable, but when all are well we can get along. (have just been called off one hour) and So want you to enjoy your self without feeling that we are having too hard a time at home & you ought to be here. Indeed the true idea Should be to enjoy the passing hour & not let future things or things we cannot help mar our happiness. Suppose you have returned from Conway. hope you had a fine time. we thought of those days & took notice of the weather. shall hear about it in your next. It must be delightful to attend to your flowers, gather & press them. bring home your Specimens.
How much labor are you now Spending on Comp- now. If you get So as to like to spend an hour that way, you will have achieved Something worth doing. How do your Mathematics go now? I think highly of them as learning to control your thoughts or learning to think.
When you go to the mountains, you must Send us a Crayon & pen & Ink sketch of them in an extra letter. Perhaps I should Say on Studies, that it is quite important that you Should thoroughly master them - this may apply to such as mathematics more especially - Suppose you ever wanted Such a position as High school teacher you see your Knowledge would be tested. this may never be, but it is well to be prepared for such a position.
But to come to home affairs. We have last Eve at supper the first bowl of strawberries they will soon come in freely, & shall have Lucius at home to pick them as it has been thought best to close the High school until fall. We have but three application[s] a Mr. Cross of Sterling & Mr Bixby of New Boston N. H. and a Mr. Kimball who is an assistant in the Philips Academy at Andover - the last by far the most promising have graduated with honor at Amherst. & Since then been in his present School by fall we can find more to select from. I rode with Mr. Rice to high school yesterday & spent an hour, heard Composition. Abbie is Succeeding finely in our School. Miss Howe governs easily. Mrs. Pratt & better [...] Elise watched with her last night. H. Town & wife took tea with Edward. The county is now looking finely thought we need rain. Our Shop is now quite active but not so much So as we expect it to be. we shall have in a large force. I think of trying to hire some commercial School boy for my clerk as a boy could do some things a girl could not.
As I have no more time I will bring this to a close. I should write more frequently if I found this leasure & was not so indolent. I feel not very active this Spring. I am also trying to read more have taken a card & book from Peabody Library. I purpose to read some Biographies & Some of the Poets - does your Library contain the English & American Poets. Perhaps we might read from them together & then we might [...] on them. How would you like that way?
Please accept love from father & Mother and be a good girl as in the past and
I remain your fond
Father