I infer that this final letter was a "corrected,
proof," and had to pass a severe examination. Probably, this was the
only one intended for my eye, and I cannot account for the arrival of
the three documents, except upon the hypothesis that my boy heedlessly
and hurriedly thrust them in one enclosure, and forgot to remove the
phonetic specimens before mail time. It ran thus:--
"MY DEAR FATHER: In lieu of the usual essay required of pupils on this
day, my preceptor allows me to write a letter to you, which he hopes may
serve to evince my progress in the art of composition, the improvement
in my penmanship (to which he devotes special attention), and to inform
you of my continued health. Indeed, in this delightful locality, nothing
else could be expected, as Whelpville, being 796 feet above tide-water,
is entirely free from those miasmatic influences which unfortunately
affect the sanitary condition of those institutions of learning that are
less favorably situated. The only case of sickness that has occurred
since my arrival, and for a long time previously, was that of my
room-mate and friend, Richard Gillander, whose father has recently
purchased an estate in our neighborhood, principally on account of the
salubrity of our climate.
Pages:
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78