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I am awfully busy working on portraits the best of which I shall send out to Academy which receives works in ten days time. I am doing a good deal of reading.

Sorry to hear of Misssus Chester's accident.

The last two weeks I have been working like a nigger.  Hoping to succeed, grateful for the chance and patsense [[patience]] and encouragement shown in your letters from home. I have not yet arrived at my ideal of masterly brush-work but in two things of this winter I have done fairly well —— I sleep well and eat heartly [[heartily]].  My meals are made for me in my own kitchen Mrs. Hamlin being a good cook.

Through friends of the Fords I met a number of attractive people one family being that of a respectable solicitor who has seven daughters They came to tea and called again and also again and once again. I felt there was a game being waged and while receiving flowers and little remembrances and giving none, realized I was the pawn being played with. I then received a book which I returned [[strikethrough]] turned [[/strikethrough]] with a 

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