cor. West.
Camden, N. Jersey, Feb. 24. Dear Nelly,
I am sitting here alone in the front room—a cold, gusty, wintry day outside, but bright & sunshiny—have just read your good letter of the 22d—Nothing special or different about my sickness or condition—I keep on much in the same way—gastric & liver trouble pretty grave, & (as a resultant) head distress more than half the time—go about though—The baby is getting along well—though there are better, & fatter, & handsomer babies, this one is fine enough for all practicable purposes, is well formed, & has (I think) an especially fine pair of eyes—Knows me, & seems to like to be tended to occasionally held by me—begins to laugh, & [[no handwritten text supplied here]] [not at] all nervous or scareable—[[no handwritten text supplied here]] though (cant [[no handwritten text supplied here]] altogether satis[factory] [[no handwritten text supplied here]] [de?]formed one, has been [[no handwritten text supplied here]] foot, but is now nearly [[no handwritten text supplied here]] been steady—I have tended it—
My sister and brother Geo: are well—My other sisters, nieces, & brother Jeff, were well at last accounts. I am glad you wrote me about your mother. John Burroughs visited me some weeks since, on his way home from Wash'n . Miss Kate Hillard wrote me she is to be in Phila. on her way to Wash'n 26th to 29th Feb. in Clinton st. near 10th, & I am going over, 27th, to spend a couple of hours, as I know the folks. (Mrs. and Prof. and Miss Lesley.) As Hector Tyndale lives only two or three doors from there, I shall look in on him, or at least make some inquiry—& will send you word. The N.Y. Tribune of last Saturday (19th Feb. ) had the 2½ column synopsis of my new book, pretty full & fair—I suppose the Star extracts you mention must have come from it—
M. D. Conway has not yet gone back to London—goes on two or three weeks—How about Chas: Eldridge? Remembrance to Mrs. Brownell, Mrs. Huntington, Mrs. Johnson & Miss Donaldson, & best love to you, Nelly dear—