[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]Boston Jany 13. 1845.
My dear daughter
I did not intend that it should have been so long a time between my letters, but I am very busy at this season of the year in settling accounts & ascertaining if my business has yielded enough to pay your bills and a few others and I have hardly got through yet -
We were very happy to get your letter a day or two since and like the proposition very much to have Miss Parker accompany you to Boston & spend the vacation - and you will please say to her it will give us great pleasure to have her come & we hope she will have time to write to her father to get his reply before it will be necessary to leave - it will cost her father about six dollars for the rail Road fare down & up - If the arrangements cant be made for this vacation - may it not be for the next which will be 7 weeks and at a pleasanter season of the year - I only suggest this for your consideration, either will be very agreeable to us -
I have hardly heard the sound of your piano since you left us - we have but little cmpay old Mr Phelps spent a few days with us - while the family were packing up preparating to moving to New York - also Helen Mary - it is quite a loss to our [day?] to have them leave - I enclose a five dollar bill which presume will enable you to return without leaving many debts behind unpaid -
Last eveng we had the anniversary of our Sabbath School in which you know I always make a figure our lecture room was crowded to listen to my splendid report & to hear the children sing n anniversary ode written for the occasion by the poetess of the school Miss Chase - I would send you a copy if we were making up a bundle - it is in print I may outline the writer - I have hardly seen Mary Stub for weeks - she has a terrible sore face - Dea Thayer is to be married next week to Mrs Guild - I have not yet learnt how the young couple are to spend the Honey Moon - -
Your mother must finish this letter.
FatherDear Jane
As your stay at home will be short you will only need your carpet bag you can wear your herino [?] and bring your dark calico, it will be unnecessary to bring a band box as you can wear your velvet & put your hood in your carpet bag, your night clothes of course you will want I have promised to have room for Evarts & will not add more with love to Quica [?]
I am your
aff mother
SLSMy dear sister
I suppose you knew that we had not any Mayor when you were at home the last Vacation we have not any yet. The Whigs Vote for Samuel A Eliot & the Loco's for Mr Green. The Reason that I did not give you any New Year's presents was because I could not find any thing to give you. Father read a story bout General Palmer he went to have his portrait taken by Coplar in London he had it sent home to his family and it was hung up in the entry so that his men that he hired might see it. he had a favorite cat who used to get up on his shoulder when he came home to dinner after the men came in, this cat came in to [sic] & when she saw it she thought it was the same man himself so she tried to get up on his shoulder in front of the picture and when she found she could not she tried to get up behind it. it is time for me to go to bed now so good by
from your aff
Brother
Evarts