Plum Street,
Cincinnati
February 4th 1857

My dear Miss Lascelles,

I lose no time in assuring you of the safe arrival of your kind and ever welcome letter at its proper destination. I have long wished to hear from you and trust you will not allow such a length of time to elapse before you write again. I need scarcely tell you how much we all grieve at the melancholy picture you give of our dear kind beloved friends the Parkinsons. I trust dear Bessies experience of a life among strangers may be mine (for my governesses life was as happy as most), and that the tender gentle and sympathising feelings of her dear mother towards us placed similarly may be visited on her own head. I can never forget their kindness to us ere we left Killough in many trying scenes. Give them all my best love. I shall write a few lines in this to Bessie Parkinson should I have time and now to give of ourselves. First, as I write Nanny sits darning stockings. Mamma taking her usual nap all the men gone to their respective offices. I see you have all the news of our movements from Papa. I am glad our doings present to him such a fair picture but neither him or Mamma know all our struggles as old people cannot be told everything and so long as we are given health and strength we are comparatively satisfied and contented. Mamma is very thin the intense heat of the summer is very wearing?. She got a rather serious fall in the ice about a fortnight ago which shook her greatly. I wonder she had no limbs broken she has slipped so often in the winter. I fell the same day in the street. Some gentlemen picked me up, but was not hurt. From our mild frosty weather in our old house you can posses no idea of the sharp cutting frost here. The river has frozen this winter too. The ice a foot and a half thick. I walked over several times. It is quite an interesting sight to see the wagons with three or four teams of horses crossing heavily laden with iron and wood. Boys skate sledges… and the ferry boats run all the time the frost is not too intense. Last night I hear the fire bells ring and ran out to see "the fuss". It was intended as a peal of joy for the river breaking up. The trade of this city depends so much on the river that while it is closed up business is perfectly paralysed. Though there are numerous railways the freights are so much dearer by them than by water conveyance that its rise is of consequence. I am now quite well. I returned from Kentucky the beginning of December. The drinking of the water there did me great service. I was very sick and suffered intense pain. My only solace was under the influence of narcotics. The noxious smells passing through the markets sickened me to vomiting and this was at short intervals for several weeks. The enlargement in the spleen is now scarcely perceptible. The people in Kentucky were so kind to me, my doctor took an especial interest in my case and placed his daughter's stud at my disposal. she was only sixteen, married and had a baby. So go ahead are the Americans. I dont like slavery but like living in "Old Kentucky". I can appreciate Harriet … stories "Uncle Tom's cabin" and her last book on slavery "Dread" much better from living there so long and love some of the slave holders too. I am trying to get a class for music and have succeeded pretty well for the time I have been in the city and I try to be cheerful and satisfied trusting that I shall be able to go on and procure more. Johnnie did not come to us nor? I cannot know when he will. Your note brings all the associations of girlhood and childhood before my mind's eye. Poor Mrs Such and Joe. How much I wish I could get a sight of them. We know a goodly number of Irish folk and Scotch also. I am sorry Miss Irwin began to teach in Killough. There is no field for labour there but I suppose you were a strong inducement. I forgot to tell you the scenery in Kentucky is beautiful and romantic much in character like our own County Wicklow only on a gigantic scale. The white population live much in the style of our landed gentry at home. Therefore had abundant leisure to bestow on me. Grapes grow wild in the woods of which there are no end. Hickory nuts are never ending object of search with us. I shall hope to hear from you soon again. Let us hear should any change come over Mr Parkinson. I feel for them all greatly. How will Mrs Parkinson be situated as to her income? Has anything been settled on herself? Bessie's choice in my mind is not the worst though I wish the poor child had some months experience over her. All unite with me in kind love to you. do let us hear soon again from you. My love to Joe and Mrs Surch. I wish the former would write to me sometime. Nanny will write to you and Mamma wants to say something very good to you.

Your very affectionate

Kate Rogan

I feel I have hurried over this note as this in fact is my malady or one of effects so please excuse me and please write soon dear Miss Lascelles.