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To: Mrs. Lilly M. Spencer, High Street, Newark, N. J.
From: Mrs. Z. H. Kitchen, Gilmanton, N. H.
{Sister of Marcus L. Ward 
who was Civil War Governor of N.J.}

August 27, 1876

My dear Mrs. Spencer:
I have been thinking of you for a long time & as often
thought of writing to you, but have defensed[[?]] it, feeling that any time would do but today you have been on my mind more than usual, so I felt as if I must relieve myself.

How have you got on this hot summer my good friend? We
have heard how very hot it has been in the vicinity of New York, so I suppose you have had your share in Newark. We have never known such(so much)heat since we have been in the habit of coming to this hilly country. Still our nights are cool & the mornings as well until about 10 or 11 o. So we have gotten on very nicely. We had frequent rains at night but would clear before daylight & I do not remember one rainy day this summer. We have dry weather for two weeks past so that we need rain now, & I think we shall have a cold storm soon, we now can see snow lying on the tops of the Mountains about us which sens it frosty breath upon us & it is now clouding over, so we expect rain before long, & I hope you could just peep at out house & the flowers which are in bloom & look so gay, in the boxes on the edge of our piazza, some two hundred feet of boxes are just filled & as I sit inside of the house which is double & the windows cut to the floor, it looks as if we are just set in the center of a flower garden, turn any way you will, there are the blooms springing about you. I do hope I am not proud, on the contrary I feel like thank a Mercifull Father for these & all other mercies. I do feel as if I want you to share some of the joys of life with me, & if you could only look in upon "Park Louise" I am sure you would love to draw from it, & its surroundings. There is something pretty to draw from & a mind like yours my good friend would find food for brain, hear, pencil, to say nothing of paint, why was it that the Lord made us differ so much, [[strikethrough]][[/strikethrough]] if my descriptive power was of any avail, you should have it all from my pen. When I thnk of the frivolity of fashion, & the gay world in out citys then compare the lovliness of nature up here, in the holy calm of the presense of our creator who mad it for us to love & admire my heart is filled with wonder & admiration, & I do wish that more of His children that He has given such talent could be placed just as I am, & it makes all the world beside look to trifling to me, but I suppose it is best to have all sorts, to have the good & evil set before us, but I find that my pen rambles on & the paper coming to the end. My dear Husband has been poorly all summer he did not recuperate as usual, which has given me much anxiety, but just not he seems to be on the improve. I think the cool weather acts as a tonic & hope he may now grow better. I am now feeling unusually strong & well, we hear poor accounts from Moses wife. I fear she will not get over her sickness altho
 

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-01-05 15:55:38