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4 shadow of yourself and forward it this way and I assure you it would be thankfully received - I commence my labors in
the school room again tomorrow after 3 weeks holidays I have no special news, everything seems to be rolling on in about the
usual course. Your friends are all pretty well and often inquire for you. illegible pects of a bountiful harvest Meaford is
very rapidly improving you would scarcely know it now - He had a very pleasant S. S. illegible in a grove near by the other
day but they all seemed to think it would have been nicer to have had it in the hollow - but the poor hollow is a desolate
looking place now. Fathers health has been better than usual during the warm weather. Mother has not been so well this summer
she is now away on a visit to her sisters and writes that she is better Maggie I think has been improving upon the whole all
summer though she is often troubled with her head. The rest are all well as usual and all send their love to you Mary sends
you with her kindest love the first rose that bloomed on her (climbing rose bush this summer. It is very late blooming on
account of being moved this spring. Mine has never had a sigh of a flower on it yet - but it lives and grows. I have a nice
fuschia blooming in my window now I must in margin: send? you one of these 630 1 Meaford Aug 18th 1867 Dear friend
John The last of your kind and ever interesting letters reached us about 2 months ago and I for one am ashamed that it has
not yet been answered. When you owe as a letter there are more looked for more anxiously or more gladly received than yours
always so full of kindness and affectionate regard, more I am sure John than we deserve, though in our house you are never
forgotten often do Mary and I talk over the happy by-gone days and hours spent in the hollow and in your society days that
Time in his rapid flight is fastly winging far from us, soon we will be looking back and counting the years since last we
parted - in margin: I hope we will very soon hear of your health and prosperity. Don't keep us waiting long though we do
not deserve it. Accept best wishes and kindest love from your friend Hattie Trout