1836 February 7, Haverford, to Dear Mother, Philadelphia

              Haverford College 2nd mo 7th 1836“My birth-day”Dear Mother,Thy kind hint about my being so negligent in writing to you was as kindly recieved as it was given, and I shall endeavour to profit by it in future- Thee sees perhaps, if thee has read the heading of my letter, that it is my birth-day, and I am now 13 years, and 48 minutes old, if I reccollect right, for it is 8 minutes past 9. I expected to have seen some of you out to see us yesterday, but I hope the visit will not be deferred much longer, which we have so long been expecting from you. What delightful sleighing it is. I do not believe you could find a more pleasant road or better sleighing than there is on the Lancaster Turnpike. It is packed down so hard that its almost like ice. The sleighs slip along and almost go without pulling. I hear it is just the same all the way to Philadelphia. When you come I hope you will stay all day so as to give us an opportunity of having a sleigh ride- quite a rarity out here- at “this place” which seems almost isolated from the rest of the world, if we judge by the numbers of visits we have had this session- "2" I believe- Why if you'd just let us turn about, and go in town to see you instead of the present way- I'll engage you'd have a dozen visits before this month is over- Now don't thee think that would be a good plan- it would save you a great deal of trouble- and we young folks don't mind that.Thee tells me to take good care of thy pencil- so I will