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[[right side]]
Philadelphia.
Wednesday morning - 
My darling little Annie - 
I am afraid thee has been looking for a letter from me for several days - and had every day been disappointed - it is too bad I know - when thee - was so kind to send me that nice long letter - but I do not see how I could help it - when the letter came - I had gone to Chillville - so it was sent down to me - and ever since I have been so very busy I could not find a moment - but now my dear little friend, I am going to have a nice long talk with thee -  Thy letter Annie gave me a still greater pleasure - than that of hearing you were all safe and well - because dear - it was what I wanted - it told me a little more than what this is doing - it told me what thee is trying to do in thy heart - and that thee knows if thee succeeds - it is worth all the rest - a thousand times. I am so glad my dear [[note 1]]
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[[left side]]
we did not know much about engaging it, but soon learned to paddle about very nicely - and as we could glide all about among the water- lilies and gather as many as we wanted - we put them in the bottom of the boat where water enough had leaked in to keep them fresh and rowed back to the carriage - I must just tell you about the dear little birds that have built their nest outside my window - and then say good by - for I am in a very great hurry - There are a pair of baby little birds - wrens who have built their nest first outside the window of the room I slept in and they have some little baby birds in it- which they are coaxing all day long to venture outside the nest - it is so pretty to watch them standing on tip-toe on the nearest twig - and calling them with all there strength and only a faint little twitter will answer - from within - then they will fly high up in the air singing loudly all the time - and down close to the nest to show them how easy it is - but it is all of no use - the silly little frightened things will only peep over the edge and twitter and then struggle back again - Give my love to darling little Attie - and tell her I should have sent her a letter with this one - but could not posibly find the time - Shall write her very soon - and she must write me with out waiting first to hear. - Tell darling little Willie that
[[note 2]]
[[/left side]]
[[top right margin]] Checky is loving him all the time and longs to give him a good hug and a kiss - This letter Annie, is not a pattern for thee in writing - for I have written it in such a hurry - that it looks very badly.  thee must try to show me how much better thy letters will be written than those of Thy loving friend F. Bridges [[/top right margin]]

Transcription Notes:
[[note 1: Right side of image is letter page #1]] [[note 2: the next image (#5) has page #2 of letter (on the left side of that image. Then page #3 is the right side of that that image. Page #4 continues at top of left side of this image (#4), then signs off across the top of the right side.]]