many thanks to you my dear friend for your kind letter of condolence. It is the first I have received from any absent one except my dear children, and other immediate relatives. I have thought much about you since my removal to this part of the town where I have enjoyed so many happy hours in intercourse with loved friends, and to a house so well suited in every respect to my present situation, I am delighted with my new home and you may well imagine me most comfortably placed in it, surrounded with the same plain old fashioned furniture of former years, similarily arranged as at the old home down street. I feel quite contented & should be ungrateful if I was not, I have throughout all my trials of affliction & ill health for the last three years been mercifully and kindly dealt with and now when permitted to step into this sweet little snug home I feel doubly so, to my Heavenly Father who has under all the circumstances provided so liberally for me. I wish you could see how cosily I am fixed in your once happy home, I have chosen your favorite seat in your little back parlor in the recess by the window looking out on the alley, where you so frequently gave me the kindest & most cordial grettings. I like the house exceedingly & have never felt disposed to murmur or complain of the change. I am assured all has been directed for the best. of course it was painful to resign the long loved home, of 47 years standing, but I felt it a duty and was willing to submit to all the melancholy changes, in my situation without the least repining: it is very sad indeed to realize that I have lost so excellent a husband, yet I want to feel cheerful and to remember he is not lost, but only gone before. I wish so much you would come to Gettysburg & make me a visit and if you will, I shall promise if I am well enough to return it in due time. I feel very anxious to see York once more in my life. & have often regretted the many years of absence from it. Edward remains with me, he proves to be a most precious son to me, he is devotedly attentive & affectionate in all his feelings toward me he has taken his fathers place in contributing to my comforts and home pleasures, he is so pleasant & cheerful that the domestic circle is very agreeable I do wish so much you would come up, I have so many things to talk about, confidential talks, such as we formerly enjoyed in bygone days: I want you to participate the pleasure of this sweet little home. I like the neighbourhood very much every body is so kind & plain just suited to my taste, we visit wearing our sun bonnets, without carrying card cases & remaining but a few minutes. I never can fall into those ridiculous customs. There is so much style & fashion here now among some people here now, it is scarcely like G- I am surprised to observe, how much the people & things have degerated, in the past six or eight years.

Our dear Church, is in a very lamentable & distracted state at present. I cannot go into detail now, there is so much to communicate, I am too weak to write long letters, I have been obliged for two years to deputize Edw to attend to my correspondence he intended replying to your kind letter a few days ago, but he went to Baltimore on business, & I thought it would be too long to wait for his return. so I concluded I would attempt some sort of a letter myself -- Mr Kouck's family are very estimable, we all are on the most sociable cordial terms, we often talk of you & I am sure if they knew I was writing to you they would desire to be remembered to you, poor old lady is in feeble health, she suffers from spinal disease. but is cheerful & stepping about the house. O! do my dear Mrs. T-- come up right soon we shall all be so glad to meet you again give my love to my sister, & say to her I shall be glad to have her come with you, you can come so nicely together & spend a week or two with us. I think it will be charming I have not seen Anna, since I received your letter but have enquired for her, she is quite well & very happy in the height of enjoyment with her young friends. please excuse this poor dull epistle.