N. Stonington April 2^nd/65.

My own good Court.—

As I have been so very negligent of late about writing you I expect you begin to think I have changed, that I do not care for you as I used to but it is not so, I wish you could know how very much I do care for you, how every day and every hour that I live I grow to love you more and better. When I have any thing new I always prize it very highly and think ever so much of it for about two or three days and then I do not care for it or think of it any more, but not so do I feel about you my Darling. Three years ago when we were married I thought I loved my Court/as well as I possibly could, but how very much dearer you are to me now—perhaps you will tire of hearing it, but I love you so much I must tell you of it. I received you letter to-day and it was a good one too. such a one as only Court can write. I am very glad you have made that promise to write oftener, and I promise to do the same and let us both try and not break them. I was so sorry to hear you have been sick. how I wish I could be with you to take care of you. I am afraid you will always be subject to that Fever & Ague but if you are only home where I can take care of you it will not be so bad. I am very glad Capt. Packard did not get your place. I should have been very sorry for you to lose it./

I think it is not so dangerous as to be with the regiment—I do hope you may not have to fight. I have been so sure you would come home in September that if any thing bad should happen to you now I believe it would kill me. We have been thinking you would come home this week. I don’t know what makes us get it into our heads that you are coming home so often I dream of you every night and very often dream of sleeping with you and then wake up to find you not there. Oh dear! When will dreaming be over, and I have the real instead! Oh! how I wish that some of my dreams of you might be realized. perhaps they will be soon. Only five months Mother Lewis is quite sick. came from there this morning, going/back again to-morrow. Mother S— is better. She is very kind to me now. Sing to night to John Ceary’s. Last Debate Tuesday night. Ed and Frank have both hired out. Ed is with James M. Pendleton to Westerly. Frank is going to work in the ship-yard at Mystic. don’t know what their wages are, will find out and tell you. Ben’s folks were all down last Sunday, and Ben sold their cow to Paul Brown for seventy dollars. I forgot to tell you that the “sing” was here last Sunday night.

Cannot think of any more news. Write often.

                                                Good-bye Darling

                                                                        Mary L Stanton

P.S. W^m Coats did not visit the widow, I hear.

[front margin] Remember me to Serg’t Prescott. Tell him I am partial to the soldiers

Mary