Kenyon College
Gambier Knox Co.
Ohio
America
November 8^th 1869

My dear Miss Lascelles,

"With deep affection and recollection" I often think of you. Tonight Nannie sent me word in her latter that she had heard from yourself and I could not resist sitting down to send you a few lines and to tell you how much I cherish the memory of past kindnesses and pains on my behalf which perhaps I did not exhibit much, or any gratitude for, but which sunk the more deeply into my head, indeed my inability to requite your kindness to me in anything but words made me diffident of saying much when I felt most. I need scarcely say I rejoice to know you are still well able to wield a pen and to think of us by writing. I am as yet in ignorance of the contents of your letter but Nannie will sent it to me in fragments. As news of ourselves will give you the most satisfaction I shall begin by telling you Nannie spent nearly four months with us from early June till September. We have never been so long together since I came to this country. Her health and her nervous system were in a miserable condition when she came here, both broken down by a long and anxious attendance on her husband. She is now well. She thinks the regularity of our house was the great part of the cure and the quite nap of an afternoon without any disturbance from visitors or any other interruption. For the hot months we cannot do without taking off our clothes and lying down for a couple of hours without a vestige of covering except a sheet perhaps. Willie and Johnnie are well and live in Chicago. None of us so prosperous as to have made fortunes but sufficient to provide things honest in the sight of all men. Are any of the dear Parkinson's with you or in Killough or are any of them married? and did Jamesie return from Australia? As years increase with us, my experience is we cling more and more to early loves ties and associations. No friends like the old ones. Joe Surch has not yet answered my letter, but I am such a delinquent in this respect myself that I must extend some forbearance to him for his tardy answer. I don't know whether Nannie told you what sort of place this is. I shall as briefly as possible convey to you some idea of its surroundings. Bishop Chace, the pioneer bishop of Ohio collected in England funds for endowing Professorships and creating a theological seminary and a college to feed the seminary for educating young men here for the ministry of the Protestant Episcopalian church in the far west. So the bishop selected a place in the woods, felled the trees as they needed space to build and called the place for the institution after a classical Gambier of England. All our halls seminarys schools are named after donors to the enterprise or who gave their interest to the bishop. Our little village resembles a primitive English one. At present our assistant bishop is putting up a most beautiful gothic chapel for the students of the college. There is a small cross on the outside and already many express their disapprobation for fear of ritualistic tendencies but he is evangelical in his teaching and preaching, and a very fine teacher of our church service. He is, and would, strike the dulled as the most eloquent teacher. He resides in Gambier and we have the privilege of sitting under him several months of the year and visiting and exchanging visits with him and his most amiable and excellent help mate. In this country we do not stand in such awe of "the powers that be" but come in daily intercourse with big wigs and they exhibit no condensation on their part towards any one. Willie and Johnny often see Joe Rogan, Uncle William's youngest son. He is sometimes in Chicago. I have never seen him but hope he will be induced to come to us. We live some miles from conveyance by rail but next year they hope to have a railway through Gambier. Remember me kindly to Joe Surch, my dear love to Mrs Parkinson and all her loved children. Is Mr Campbell still living. I pity him so much, his note to Nannie was so sad and mournful. Are any of the Parkinson's married but James. Are you still able to attend church? I trust your minister is considerate of you and visits you often. Remember me to Margaret McMullan. I wonder more people don't come to America now that the Pacific railway is open for travel is opening vast resources to future enterprise. My … are so many in the country? joins me in affectionate love to you and hoping you will favour me sometime with a few lines. I remain my dear miss Lascelles your attached Kate Trimble. Snow is falling fast and heavily.

(Cannot find the next letter!)