Transcribe Fenn, Robert. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1855-11)

Dear Ward

   You have doubtless many times accused me of

laziness, forgetfulness, ingratitude and a host more of such graces, in neglecting for so long a silence to answer to your long letters and thank you for your great kindness and trouble. Then again I flatter myself that once in a while you have relented a little and excused me by accusing the Post Office Department; sickness business; or something of that sort as the cause of your non reception of an answer for I wrote you a long letter, soon after the reception of yours, which however the Post Office never received in consequence of my being unable to get it copied off, as its length in addition to its being in my own hand writing forbade my sending it without being transcribed as you would have heard from me long ere this. The reason why I could not get your letter transcribed was the continued disposition of Mother who, I believe I mentioned in my last, was then just beginning to recover from an attack of bilious fever. Father came on to Hagerstown about the first of July intending to take her home with him, but found her in too weak a condition to travel, and was very reluctantly compelled to go back without accomplishing the object of his visit. He again returned about the first of August and this time succeeded in getting her home although she was still very weak. My </s insipable . inseparable and indispensable Aunt Belle and myself accompanied them. Since that time Mother has recovered very slowly, exceedingly so, and although it is now nearly three months since our return , she is almost as feeble as when we left IL .Her head still troubles her very much, preventing her from taking a sufficients amount of exercise to recruit her strength very fast as standing in an erect position increases the confusion as well as the deafness. In addition to this she has for several days past been suffering from neuralgia in her head which has set her almost distracted. In fact her whole trouble seems to be of a nervous character and I fear it will be a long time before she entirely recovers from it as she has always had a strong </s dis > predisposition to nervous affections. You may well imagine we don't fare as well here as when Mother is around although Aunt Belle is with us and does all in her power to make us comfortable. Indeed I don't know