Transcription:
To Mary Anna and perhaps to Joanna May, 1861 To my affectionate sister Mary M 'made up her mind' 'a while ago to write to
me' Well Ive just made up mind to write to you this afternoon I was very glad to hear from you and you wrote a very good letter
but you must not write your name in two pieces for nobody but your affectionate brother in all Madison could have read it
illegible Now I suppose you're thinking that aint so bad, as me not writing mine illegible often you tell me about Joanna
saying it would be a curiosity to see me I shouldn't think it would there isn't much difference in my looks I guess, only
my beard has not been forgetting to grow it's very long, one of the students told me that if he had such a beard he would
set fire to it, Im pretty sure you aint illegible nor slim by this time, can you touch the roof Anna can you. Joanna I know
you can't, you're a illegible y illegible you little block. I suppose you all go to get flowers often now. Some of our students
often go far away on Saturdays after all kinds of flowers to study all about them, this study is called Botany. How would
you like this study I like pretty flowers but I haven't time to study much about them Ive got a fine posy at my illegible
here in an old milk bottle and Ive got a peppermint plant and a young bramble in an old glass bottle and on the shelf, (the
topmost? one) stands my stew fan full of brumbles 2 or 3 feet long and ships of gooseberries bushes? and wild plum and I don't
know all what, and further along you may see my tin illegible in the same business, they keep fresh a long time in water I
had a long yellow willow in my basin a while but it died I had always to take it out when I washed. I know you would like
to come to our pretty grounds to gather flowers, lots and lots of happy girls are scattered? over the hill and along the lake
bank all the summer?