Home August 30th, 1864 - I received your letter yesterday My Dear Nellie and you see how well I keep my word by sitting down the very nest day to answer it. I returned from the sea side last Saturday and I can truly I never hardly enjoyed my self as well as I have the last three weeks. I kept saying if Nellie Coit was only here with me all my Uncle Charlie's family were there besides several of Hattie's uncle and Aunt and Cousins. We were quite a large party by ourselves and I can assure you we all enjoyed our selves too. Coming back we stopped for a few days in Boston and there I heard that waiter Ives was engaged to a Miss Singer from Detriot. He is a wool Merchant in Boston. Yoyu said in your letter that you feel quite delighted that I did not go to see you graduate - Really Nellie if I had thought so nothing would have kept me from going It was Emily Robins that paid you that compliment and she always said that her brother said the same thing, and Clara Van Wagner said so too. So there is the opinion of three - I am sure I should be very proud of such a compliment and hold my head pretty high. The way Emily knows it was yours one of the girls told her and I told Clara van Wagoner because she wanted to know she said it was the composition on Homer, and she particularly referred to the last part when you spoke of going home. I have a great desire to see it and I think you night send it to me. I will "handle it with care" and send it back to you I promise to let you see mine even if it is so bad as to be refused by the committee. - Now wont you please when you see how much I really want to see it? Have you heard any thing more from Fanny Eaton or Sophia church to know whether they are going to Prof. Gray's this winter? I wish they would come. It would seem quite like Hartford to have Mary Sophia and Fannie all there Has Mary yet decided whether to go or not? I hope she will. I found a letter waiting for me from her when I returned which I answered this morning. I did not know she really expected me so much as whenever she has asked me I have told her I did not think I could I have been around so much this summer that it leaves but very little time at home - Mother says she expected me at home for two months but it dont seem as though I had been home two weeks. It dont seem so to me - But I hope nest summer to be able to stay at home longer and not have to hurry back to school the first of September. Is Bella Ishorn going back do you know? I had a letter from Emily Robins Monday She is expecting to return I believe. OK, Nellie I wish you were going back too. I shall miss you sadly more than you will imagine. You must go to Brooklyn and make a visit. [1] Was Bella Ishorn much admired in Norwich among the young gentlemen? I have no doubt she enjoyed their society as I remember she was quite partial to them in Brooklyn she will find a plenty of them in New Haven - why are you not coming to Springfield this summer? I think it will be too bad if you dont come to have you here and now for you not to come back is too bad. I thought you knew Henry Murphy was a senior at Columbia. He had a brother younger (George Murphy) who is only about half his height that will graduate at Columbia next year. I think it is a great misfortune to be so very small. Was James Carston in Columbia College too? He was another of your boring friends I believe. I heard that Mary Ticknow went to see Miss Chollet in Corn bridge this summer and that Miss Chollet did not intend to return to Hartford but was going to stay home and keep house and her sister was going to teach in her place. Oh dear there are only two weeks and not quite that before school opened. I wish it was two months instead of two weeks. It dont seem any time at all since I last was at school and now to come once again seems so soon. How I almost envy you the pleasure of thinking you can stay at home. I have not been home to spend a winter for five years. Dont you think I ought to stay at home so as to see how it would seem. I do. I hope next year though not to have to keep thinking that the first of September school commences. Leicister is waiting for me to go to ride so I must Bid Good Bye for the present. Do write me a nice long letter very soon you see how soon I have answered yours. Give my love to Mary when you see her. with much love I remain Your affectionate friend Libby