Portage April 21st 1885 Dear John It hardly seems possible that it is a year since I wrote to you on your birth day before.
and yet it has brought considerable changes to us all. I hope it has been a happy and profitable year to you and that you
have many yet to enjoy How very rapidly one year after another flies away leaving its impress upon us both in body and mind
and how needful it is that we should look beyond this transitory