Your letter and its enclosed slip came a few days ago and as I had written a letter for T. Kinney to take up the day before & which he did not call to get, I put it in the office and sent it that way. -- it had $20. enclosed -- and so I did not write Sunday, as usual, but today is our other Sunday, the "day appointed" and I will write to you before preaching time. I was over to prayers at Mr. Lucy's tent, our chief chaplain -- he read a Psalm & sang the hymn in which is my favorite verse, "Judge not the Lord by feeble sense" &c and Gen. Jackson devoutly prayed for all classes orders & conditions of the Confederate States, for success to our arms at all times, for confusion & defeat to our enemies, but for blessing to them in all right & proper things, especially that they might have the blessing of peace -- he very earnestly prayed that this "unnatural war" might speedily be brought to a close, and that blessing might come upon our absent dear ones. Gen. Lee's order for the observance of the day is a very good one, and in it he says "Soldiers! No portion of our people have greater cause to be thankful to Almighty God than yourselves. He has preserved your lives amid countless dangers; He has been with you in all your trials; He has given you fortitude under hardships, and courage in the shock of battle; He has cheered you by the example and by the deeds of your martyred comrades; he has enobled you to defendyour country successfully, against the assaults of a powerful oppressor. Devoutly thankful for his signal mercies, let us bow before the Lord of Hosts, and join our hearts with millions in our land in prayer," &c. I am sure our people will humbly worship & seek for blessings this day -- We can only succeed by God's blessing & with it, how vain and unavailing are all the machinations of our enemies -- numbers, equipments, treasure -- all disappear as did the fretwork of this morning's frost before the glorious sunshine that now gladdens the earth. Pray for our country's cause, my wife & children, pray for the ceasing of these evil days & for the coming of those of peace -- when, spared by God's all abounding mercy, we may sit again in security at home with none to molest or make afraid. Nelson wrote me that he had sold the farm, reserving the rent of our house & lot, all the enclosed, the purchaser to have one half of the grapes -- nothing else -- which is very reasonable & a small matter -- I am glad the sale is effected and hope the future may be clear of many of the perplexing and disquieting annoyances of the past -- no better way exists than to take different roads when the one travelled does not suit the dispositions of bretheren -- and we can only pray that each may, in God's fear, deal justly & righteously with the other -- for we are all in the presence of the "Searcher of the hearts and discerner of the thoughts and intentions of men".

    I am much grieved that you are so poorly & hope the coming of the "genial season" may invigorate you -page three- I suppose you will soon have new neighbors, Mr. Evans, whom I know slightly, is a very clever man I believe. My Dear, cultivate kindly relations with them, which no one knows how to do better than yourself, for in my forced absence they can be of much service to you & I pray God to incline them to be very kind & neighborly to you. I have much confidence in our good friends the Bears & Wilsons, &c &c that they will aid you much in doing many things you will have to call on some one to do. I hope that the Spring campaign may so open as to throw it in my power to come home for a few days and do many things that will add to your comfort -- In the mean time I entreat you to cultivate a cheerful disposition, to cease to disquiet yourself about too many things and so fret the cords of your existence as to add to the sufferings incident to our common humanity & which your slender frame can ill afford to endure. I am sorry Capt. S. & Dr. H. have gotten so widely apart -- I exceedingly dislike such feelings among neighbors, among those that have been friends -- they are the bane of social life and entangle themselves into all its doings &, more or less, every one in the community must suffer for it -- I would try to reconcile them if I were at home -- they are both too impulsive, both generous, but both, I am sorry, unsubdued by the Gospel that teaches "to endure all things, to suffer all things" if by so doing we fulfill the substance of religion by "loving God and our Neighbor". I like them both & both have their faults -- like all the rest of us. What poor things we are. -page four- I cannot send this today, so I will finish it after church and tell you of the sermon &c --