Walnut Hills
Cincinnati
May 23 60??

My dear Miss Lascelles

You cannot think how often during the week I propose sending off a letter to you and I am sure I must appear ungrateful to you as well as some other dear friends at home. For the last two years my health has not been strong, my nervous system a good deal shaken and writing was quite an effort. This Spring I am, thank God improving. Last week I sent a note to Dr Hichen? by a Miss Walker …, a friend and near neighbour of ours. I mentioned to him that mother wrote not long ago so that should her letter miscarry you might by other means hear that some of the family had written to you. I know that you will not keep us long without a letter if you are at all able to write and for sometime we have been very anxious to hear or your health so that we will hope some friend will be kind enough to let us know how you are should you not be able to do so yourself. Your letters always contain so much that is interesting that is quite refreshing to us to receive them. The last news we had from Belfast was through Bessie Parkinson telling us of James' return - I wish we could say the same of our dear brother. We still write and pray and hope. This week I am going to send through a friend who has sons in Melbourne Kate and my Photographs. Perhaps we may have a letter from him after they reach him. His letters and conduct were so good that I am at a loss to account for his determined silence. It would have been much better had he come to this City when he left San Francisco. I never felt so deeply the want of him as last Summer when my dear husband was so desperately ill in fever. Father and Mother I suppose you are aware have been with us for the last year and as Kate and William can just only provide for themselves we would have been desolate indeed if God in his mercy had not been good to restore my husband. It was a trying time to us both. He is now, thank God, stouter than I have ever seen him tho almost every summer when the hot weather sets in he turns down in strength. Father and Mother are indeed wonderfully well and dear Miss Lascelles how thankful I am that my dear husband can give them a quite and peaceful a home in their old days. My father is upwards of seventy and he often rides John's horse into the City and out. Both mother and he look and are better than when they lived in the city. The air is pure on these Walnut Hills and we are about 2 miles from the City and omnibuses come and go every hour. Kate makes her home in a Dr Reubans? whose 3 daughters she teaches music besides as many other pupils as she can take. Her health is quite good and she is very comfortably situated at present, indeed I think happier as she is constituted than if she lived at home. She never liked home much. Its petty though necessary cares always worried her. William has a situation in Adams Express Co. He lives in a small cottage house surrounded by fruit trees, apples, cherries, peaches and grapes and have very pleasant neighbours. Mr Cinnamon is Junior Warder of the Episcopal Church here and it necessarily brings us into contact with many that we desire to know. We had a delightful visit from Rev George Heathers. He is very like his father in having a good memory and being able to tell us of many dear friends at home. I believe he had a call to St John's Church in our City. He is at present in Philadelphia and I don't know if he will accept. Since he left we have had the Rev Mr Grattan Guinness? What a wonderful young man he is - so earnest, many here could not appreciate him. His tone of voice and pronunciation was too aristocratic for them and they fancied he was affected. Do you often seen the Campbells? I think I shall write to them sometime soon and if you have the opportunity give them my love and we would like to be remembered to Mr Surch. The Le Pans? we have not heard of for some time, but as Miss Walker did visit our Islands before going to Germany and France I gave her a letter for Mr Le Pan? in Dublin. Some branches of Mother's family who have been long in this country are very comfortable and have magnificent homes for people in business. She often goes for a visit for a week or so to some of our cousins, which is a bounty to her. She still keeps by the Methodist Church which you know is distinct here from the Episcopal. Our City and neighbourhood was visited by a fearful tornado on Monday last. There were four men killed by the falling of houses and the roofs of the houses. Many of them of tin were rolled up like a scroll and carried in the air immense distances. Two houses, one square from us, were struck by lightening and unroofed. It lasted only 10 minutes but the loss of property is immense. No one could remain in the streets and the houses did not seem as if they could stand the hurricane. Since I commenced this I have heard that Mr Heather has accepted the call to St Johns and commences his ministry there next Sunday. We shall hope to hear from you as soon as you conveniently can and give our love to all who still care to hear of us. I am sure I should find Killough a strange altered place and many old and familiar faces gone. Is Mr West still with you. where are Charles and Edward Campbell. Are they as fine men as their father. I shall not tire you with more reading, or questions, and will only beg of you to accept of the …. love of our household to which my husband joins and … me my dear friend, yours affectionately and sincerely,

Nannie Cinnamon