Washington Bks. D.C.

Mch 28^th 1882

 

My dear Net

                        I returned in safety and without incident from my trip to Ky. and here I am again going through the same routine of duty as before—I missed you greatly when you left and in fact still continue to miss you—so much so that I felt inclined to step over and ask Miss Em to enlist as a substitute—She is still with us & Mr N— & Capt B—as attentive as ever—They—Maj Graves & family, have moved into the middle set of the new Qrs. Agnes enquires about Miss "Lulu" quite frequently & chatters, sings, whistles, boasts, makes / as many changes, entertains as much company and is generally as officious as ever—The piano still stands against the wall—Agnes consenting—and looks mournfully deserted & lonely—If it were a sentient being, endowed with the power of speech, I know it would ask me to insist that you should come back again, to cheer it and awaken its harmonies with your touch. I will at any rate adopt the suggestion, although silently expressed and say that I will always be much pleased to have you come and stay with me, here or elsewhere, as long as you like even to making your home with me—I would like to continue house keeping provided I had company, but, alone, it appears so lonesome that I think I will break up, unless you will come and stay some time with me. So think it over and let me know soon as I intend to quit house keeping & enter the mess if you will not come in a month or two. If you should come on suppose you invite one of your cousins to come on and spend a month or so with you She would be company for you, and I think would enjoy her visit, and I would be glad to have her come. When you see Aunt Clay give her my very affectionate regards, and say that I greatly regretted leaving Ky. without seeing her, and that my omission to do so was through no lack of esteem or of kindly and affectionate sentiment for her. But knowing of her illness and nervousness prostration I was naturally disinclined to an interview that could only, under the circumstances, call up mournful thoughts & topics, / mutually painful and distressing. I was interrupted at this point of my letter, and have allowed a day or two to elapse without renewing it. In the mean time yours of the 28^th inst. was received, and its mournful news was so surprising and depressing that it requires an effort for me to renew writing. I can now readily imagine the nature of Garfields thoughts when he made use of the expression to the effect "it is the unexpected that is most liable to happen". Of course Aunt Rachel is terribly grief stricken and Mr. Stofer possibly hardly less so. It is undoubtedly a most severe and lamentable affliction affliction for the whole family. For the husband and children the whole current of life will be changed into a new and strange channel. For the children especially, their mother must have been*

SOURCES