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as long as you do, - but I've had no chance to talk with Laurie yet. I suppose your aunts may write to you urging a return before next summer, so as to have you pass that season with your Grandmother, but you had better not commit yourself to that. It seems pretty hard to all of us to face another year without you, but if present conditions remain thro' next spring, you ought to stay the summer there, in my opinion.

Aunt Emily has been driven so with housecleaning, carpets, curtains, & company, that she couldn't write you by this mail. Aunt Sallie is at 4305, to stay from yesterday (Monday morning till Friday afternoon! an unheard of outing for her. She is in your room, of course -

You understand of course that I want May to spend the same that you do on the trip

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Hope you got my message to the Conants.
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209 South 3d St.
Tuesday Oct. 10th '88 -

Well, Leilie dear, you must be nearly thro' with Venice by this time, & ready to start for Florence. You do flit about pretty fast, - physically,- & perhaps emotionally,- but I trust not either morally or mentally. With those departments of one's being it is wiser & safer to 'go slow'-

I am forced to write hurriedly today, & cannot answer your letter as I want to. In regard to Mr. B. I can only say that if you really feel sure about yourself, we all rejoice in your decision,-& unless you were prepared to accept now, or at least very soon, it was your duty to so decide any way. Even if you were not sure of yourself,- or were sure, the other way. But I confess to being taken by surprise - because we had all been so industriously preparing for, & reconciling ourselves to, the 'other thing',- as I wrote you lately.