.NTI.MTM3MQ

Dear Zadoc, I wish you could see this [pen?] [underline]. [start underline]Thursday 7./52 [end underline] Clear & beautiful weather. Gathering apples by help of Sam. Holmes & Ros. [Cook/Cole?]. 1 cart & 2 yokes oxen. Mr. McKee sits on [?] piazza, [start underline]in my old armed chair, [end underline] reading "The Religion of Geology. He is a plain, well informed, old gentleman. He has been many years in the Grocery business, in N. Y. City, & educated a large family. He is an Irishman. I suppose you are seeing your uncle Lucius pretty often this week: I hope you will entice him to buy a good Bill of Goods of your house. Artemas looks lonesome in the store since he came from the Lakes. He has told me some thrilling stories about his late excursion of taking the 5.7 & 8 pounders, speckled backs. Of moose tracks, bear dens, &c. He is not like any body else.

P.M. [Heane?] just returned from a ride with Mr. McKee. He speaks well of the natural scenery about our place. Uncle David has bought a horse. You know who [start underline] Uncle David [end underline] is. Mr. Josiah Whitten is as tall as ever, & his baby grows wonderfully. Our village looks dull. From my window, I can see not a man, woman, nor child, nor horse, nor dog - nor any kind of a carriage. There goes a boy across the street, upon the run, as if he didn't mean to be seen long. - & there now is a backwoods man with a box of eggs, or butter, a poor satisfaction for the competition fr. [start underline]8 stores[end underline]. I must confess, our places don't much resemble Milk & Pearl streets, Boston. Boston is undoubtedly a greater & smarter place than [start underline]Buckfield village [end underline]