Transcription:
2 you of our rambles. We rode up tied our horses to the gate and then was when we missed Marys kind face to greet us. The
first thing I did was caught hold of a bunch of that dear old thyme that you used to make a furrow in. I inhaled its odor
with pleasure and I send you a piece of the very bunch - it is not very green yet. everything is very backward we have had
an unusual cold dry spring - only 2 or 3 warm days the 1st of April and since that time Nature has almost stood still. There
is not a green leaf to be seen on the trees yet and very few flowers - even the little liverworts are not half as abundant
as other seasons, these I enclose Duncan and I gathered on the side hill next the 7th line. We gathered them all for thee.
All these wild-wood flowers, sweet wild-wood flowers This is what Maggie used to sing - But to return to the garden all the
flowers that were in bloom were a few daffodils - your Mary Ann daisy is almost froze out, there is just a little bit of it
peeping up out of the ground. Aye John everything looks neglected and makes me feel sad. But the darling wild birds sing as
sweetly as ever in the trees. The lovely hills and ever flowing little stream is just the same, and it is impossible for me
to describe the feelings I had - every place I would turn would bring some pleasing remembrance to my mind. Was there ever
more freedom of speech thought and action felt on earth than in that hollow - we were all equal - every one did as they chose.
Ah me. I hope that the happy days will return that we may be there again