
Quite sharp & cold this forenoon, & I am sitting by a good oak fire—Am still imprison'd in the sick room—Keep up spirits pretty fair, but weak as ever in my movements, & being kept indoor for most nine months begins to tell on me—I almost wonder I keep as well as I do—but I have been pretty low—the doctors—even Dr Bucke—gave me quite up more than once—They just kept life like a little light prevented from being all put out (& this was the reason why I often had to deny friends from seeing me)—& for a month or so I was in a horrible plight—a nuisance to myself & all—but my nurse (Ed Wilkins, the Canadian young man Dr. B. sent) stuck to me & it has sort o' pass'd over—or at any rate the worst or it—At present I sit here in the room—Mrs Davis has just been in & wishes to send her love to you, & says come up & see us—my mentality ab't the same as ever (tho' I get very soon sore & tired reading, or being talked to)—& not much show of being any better—thankful that things are as well as they are with me—for they might be much worse—
Susan, your good letter came this forenoon & I was glad enough to hear from you all—I thank you so much for it I write all this rigmarole at once—Herbert paid me quite a visit last evn'g—I fancy he is doing well, & quite a fellow over there among the artists—I hear from Edw'd Carpenter—he always wishes to be remembered to you all, specially Ed—he seems to be well & doing well.—
My books are all completed, these last editions, wh' is a great relief. Eddy my crippled brother is still at Blackwood—(I yesterday paid the three months board bill $45.50 there) he is well, & seems to be well off & satisfied—young Harry Bonsall died there three or four weeks ago—my sisters at Greenport L I and Burlington Vermont are ab't as usual—my brother & sister Lou are well at Burlington this state—I think quite often of Harry, & wish you would send this letter over to him without fail the first chance you get—it is written largely to him—I have what I call sinking spells in my sickness, & I had one the day he last visited me—
My best love to him Eva and the little girl Love to you & George, Ed, Van, Deb & Jo and all WW