[Some paragraph markings added for ease of reading. Letter is incomplete.]South Hadley
April 29th, 1877.My dear Frank.
I received your letter enclosing your picture, it is a very good one of you I think, but Frank I am sorry to say I cannot send you mine before Wednesday or thursday [sic] the Artist promised them to me saturday [sic] but I went for them and he had not finished them he had other work in the city so he left mine undone, but I know one thing and that is he will never take any more for me. I will send it to Westfield and if you are not there your people can keep it untill [sic] you come home. Allow me to ask you Frank what you are doing. I dont see much prospects of going to work in the button shop they have not done any thing but quarrel so far and dont think they will this summer. I did not intend to say in my letter that Mr Loomis did not offer to carry me to the depot for he did, but Aunt Jane advised me to go with Allie Bush so I did as she wished me to. I have no fault to find with him he was very gentleman like to me, but as for Alice I dont think half as much of her as I did before she told me of those things
for(even if they were true) for I trust I have a mind of my own and can judge for myself when I become better acquainted with you but she is young and dont think how such trifles sound to those of us that are older so we shall have to make allowances for that but I say let it all go I dont care any thing about it. I hope you are learning to love your enmies [sic] as you say I am tring to do as near right as I can although I know I am not as near perfect as a great many of my companions but there is no one of us that is quite perfect.Viola Akers my cousin has gone over to Pearl city now her trunk is here yet I wrote to her to come and get it she has told a good many stories about me I should not care if they were the truth but it does make me provoked to have her go around telling falsehoods about me.
But Frank how sad it was and also what a narrow escape for you[r] Mother that pistol discharging in your brothers hand hid [sic] he not know it was loaded any one cant be to[o] careful in handling them Jennie had a revolver and we were shooting one day and she shot it right through a pane of glass in the pantry window but there was no one in there so there was no harm done only a hole through the glass but she has not shot any since it frightened her a little I can tell you. Then your people thought you had broken the wagon you stayed out so late the time passed away very fast that evening I had no idea it was so late but then it would be different it [sic] we sit up every sunday night so late but I thought that I should not see you again very soon and have no doubt but you thought the same so I am sure that was not very bad I don't care what time it was if you dont if it was morning only I should felt different if I had not thought it kept them awake but they did not say any thing about it.
Mr Loomis went away in a very few moments after you went. Viola has had a letter from Alice I guess she had one come from Westfield last week and it looked like her writing she asked me to write to her but I have not and dont know as I shall. There is something which Sarah dont feel quite write towards me about and I would like to know what it is I am sure I have not done any thing that I know of only I did not answer her last letter I wonder if that can be it I hate