1880 November 17, Montrose, to Lilly

              Montrose, Nov. 17, 1880.
My dearest Lilly:
I feel as though I were getting quite behind in my correspondence since the arrival of thy letter written on First-day,--the second I have rec'd since writing to thee. I am glad thee can look on the domestic upheaval with some degree of philosophy. It would be exactly in accordance with Kate's fickle Irish disposition to be led off by the others, but I would not raise a hand to persuade her to stay any more than the others,--only show a proper degree of dignified disapprobation, and make a neutral resolve never, except in exceptional cases, to take an Irish girl into thy house again. I say, down with the Irish! There is no people on the face of the earth more unsuited to make satisfactory "helps" in American households. Their characters are too untutored, too mercurial, to breathe Republican air with any degree of acceptability to their employers. They