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1873 1874 or 5 Dear boy Pete,

My condition remains about the same—I don't get ahead any to notice—but I hold my own, as favorable as I have stated in my late letters, & am free yet from the very confused spells of the head & spasms of three weeks ago. Besides I think upon the whole, my general strength is the best it has been yet—for an interval every now & then it certainly is. All very encouraging—(But my disease seems to have such ups & downs I have learned to fear to make calculations, almost.) The weather here is fine—cool mornings & nights, indeed quite cold at times—but the bulk of the day perfect—I think the cool weather season is beneficial to me. I am sitting here writing this with one of the windows wide open, & the afternoon sun streaming in. I got a letter this morning from Mr. Eldridge that he   had paid Godey, my substitute, the money I sent on for his October pay.—

Washington must be looking pleasant this fall. Write me how you are fixed, and I like to hear all the particulars about your work, on the RR.

Good bye for this time, my loving boy.Walt.

It is now a little after 2—I have had my dinner, beefsteak & potatos​ potatoes​ —pumpkin pie & a cup of tea—Don't you think that is doing very well?—It is a glorious afternoon & I am going down to take a trip once or twice across the Delaware in the ferry boat. It makes a pleasant little trip as the river here is most as wide as the Potomac from 7th st. wharf—has two little islands in the middle, which sometimes we steer between, & sometimes go round—Then these nights Pete—last night I was out, came home about 8—the moon shining bright as silver—I thought of our old walks, dear son.