Last Saterday [Saturday] We recieved [received] a Letter from Mr. & Mrs Jones . Also a Letter from your Uncle Phineas Bradley , All giving an account of Edwards Situation as regards his Sickness. They considered him out of Danger and Slowly recovering, Yesterday we had the pleasure of recieving [receiving] a few Lines from Edward own hand Stating that He had so far recovered as to Sit in a rocking Chair for an hour at a time and He hoped Soon to be able to Write us a Longer Letter, I have not time to write you much as I shall send this by Thadeas Conant who Leaves this Evening but I knew you would like to hear the good news of your Brothers recovery after learning how Low he had been by your Mothers Letter. Benj [Benjamin] recieved [received] your Letter 3 or 4 days since. You will See him in Some 2 weeks as He is going to commense [commence] at South Hanover [added: College] about that time and before He Enters He will go to Cincinnatti [Cincinnati] with his Mother who will be on her way to Binghamton , You will Percieve [Perceive] by this that we have changed our plans Some what as regards Benjamin going to Bridgport [Bridgeport] This has been caused by the Probability that Edward will not be able to pursue his Studies, Especially this

Summer, And as Edward is coming To us and we Shall not be going East this year we have concluded that It would be better for Benjamin to remain in the west where he will be near to us then if he went East.

There is great preperation [preparation] Making for a Floral possession, and Sale of Flowers next Friday, & Friday night, If the day is good I think there will be a great Display, although there is not as great a quanty [quantity] of roses now open as there was a week since, Our School numbers 416 Schollars [Scholars] and upward of 40 Teachers. The Girls of the Parochial School gave a Picknick [Picnic] party Yesterday the 1 day of May, Ben will probably give you the perticulars [particulars], Your Mother & Sister Jessie continue well, I think you will have great Times with Jessie this Summer, The Same description will not apply to her [unclear: however ] yet, that Mrs Plunket gave of you as she passed through here the other day home, She left word with Mr Bias that She Saw you and that you was a Great, Fat, Red faeced [faced] Girl, My Letter is getting More Length than I first thought I could give it. I hardly know what direction to give about Edward remainin [remaining] at Some Boarding House at Walnut Hills untill [until] We come up there If He is not able to Travel before the last of this Month it Seems hardly worth while to come to Memphis. As He will have to remain there so Short a time before we

Shall be leaving there, I will write again on this Subject in a few days —, Should Edward reach you before Another Letter from me tell him that Since I wrote to him about the Boats another Packet has commensed [commenced] running in this Line. I think the Boat is called the Gray Eagle —

You do not tell us any thing about your having joined the Church Publicly, what a blessed privilege to live in communion with those on Earth who Love Jesus Christ, and who can Claim God for their Father and our Gracious Saivour [Saviour] for our Elder Brother, But how Much More Blessed to know that when we are called to Meet God in Judgment, we Shall be numbered with those whose Robes have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb, We have Expereansed [Experienced] Some of the Benefits of Riligion [Religion] during our Anxiety about Edward, We had the consolation of Believing that if he was taken from this world, He would go a Better & Brighter one. But God has Spared his life and we hope if his health is restored He will be willing to devote that Life to his Service,

When I went to Dinner I lernt [learnt] [added: the] distressing Inteligence [Intelligence] That Mr Palmers youngest Child was Dying. Kates Little Sister Frank — What the disease or complaint is I could not Learn or how Long She had been Sick. Thadeas will be able to tell all about it as his mother I understand Stayed there last night, Your Mother Joins me in Love to Youself [Yourself] & Young Friends,

P —

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Mary C. Porter Walnut Hills Ohio By T. L. Conant

[added: Lord J

Mary C Porter Memphis Tenn [Tennessee]Mary

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