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that their mother [[strikethrough]] had [[/strikethrough]] I mean Gertrude's sister Kate, had sincerely told me many times that she hoped I could marry Emma, and make her a mother to the children, in case she should die, but it is true.
  As to any suspicion Gertrude may have (I have heard something about it) that the [[underlined]] thought [[/underlined]] of this subsequent marriage was conceived improperly early-strange as it may seem nothing of this kind was the case, and the fitness of it only

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I have nothing to ask of Gertrude - during all these years of hating me she has freely invited herself to visit my relatives, all of whom cherish and respect me [[insert]] and, by the singular dignity of my Mary, is allowed to cultivate her who utterly trusts me, and while avowing that [[underlined]] I [[/underlined]] may not speak to her!  [[underlined]] Surely a strange person. [[/underlined]] [[/insert]] [[strikethrough]] person [[/strikethrough]]

I am yours very trly
Abbot H. Thayer
Monadnock N.H.
Aug. 31

P.S. Why does Gertrude approve the people who allow [[underlined]] her [[/underlined]] to speak to [[underlined]] them [[/underlined]] while they approve [[underlined]] me [[/underlined]] [[strikethrough]] cultivated by her [[/strikethrough]] if it is her ideal to hate me.  Surely she has fallen among singularly [[waynaviiouscrus?]] persons