Kenyon College Gambier
Knox Co. Ohio
America
Oct 10th 1872

My dear Mrs Parkinson,

I you knew how often I think of you and speak of you all to my husband you would not wonder that I write now or at any time to assure you, you are still fondly remembered and all your names registered in high characters on memory's page. Every time we visit Nannies in Cincinnati, I take many long looks at your photograph and can recall distinctly your appearance when the children were nearly all babies meeting them with you and the muses on our favourite promenade 'The roap walk' I trust you are still an unbroken family though are increased … one by additions to the circle by sons in law and daughters in laws. Is James still in Australia and has he come to visit you as I heard he proposed. Is dear Miss Lascelles yet alive. I have had no letters from her for many years and then she told me that she could scarcely do anything with her right hand. Nannie and I don't meet often. We spent last Xmas vacation at Walnut Hills. Gambier has no attractions for business men, being eminently a place of learning, and being a little out of the way of the regular trains. It cuts off many visits from my dear brother from the time it consumes, say a day in going or returning to Chicago from New York. Johnnie spent three weeks with us in June, the longest visit he ever paid. He looked well and enjoyed sitting out in the shade of the maple trees. Gambier is a particularly pretty rural spot in summer, all the buildings connected with the institution ornamented in their style of architecture. John (my husband) has held the chair of Professor of Greek and Latin for 21 years and I am eleven years here. I hear of course from Nannie at least once a week and oftener. She has grown quite fat, is as active as ever, runs up and down four flights of stairs with more alacrity than many women of only 20. We expect to spend the Xmas holidays with her and Mr Cinnamon. Willy is well only so thin the last few months. He has recovered from the great shock of "The Chicago fire". He had got his books and papers into the safe when the block of buildings his office was in caught fire and of course he had to make his way home at half past three in the morning through a burning city. His sight being so imperfect added to his confusion. The city is being build rapidly. The thoroughfares more busily crowded than previous to the fire. The Omnibus….. street cars more numerous a great deal and more inhabitants, rents enormous for little places small parts of a room. Skilled mechanics get $6.50 per day but at the close of the week they have not more saved than perhaps as much as a workman of the same class at home because rent and … is so high. We have had a very hot summer, and abundant crop of everything. Grapes in our village sold for 5 or 6 cents a lb. Peaches and apples are abundant in some parts of the county. Peaches were sold at $2.0 per bushel here. Since writing the forgoing I have had a note from Nannie. Johnnie had been some days on a visit I mean combining business with pleasure. She says he looks remarkably well. Willy's dear life we all like greatly in tastes in habits and pursuits. She suits us all admirably and is an excellent wife. I shall send this to the old and dear and familiar place of Killough. I often regretted not going back "to take a last fond look" ere I left Ireland for good. At the time it was proposed to me it would have been quite painful and I was quivering in every nerve, had not got over some distressing feelings for which time alone is a balance. I should love dearly to have a letter from dear Bessie and Catherine. Where is Frances and Annie? I hope neither of your younger sons have gone to such a distance as James did. How is Joe Surch. Tell him you heard from me and that I can never forget his kindness to me and mine and his great tenderness to our much loved Sally. Nannie said that when she saw him, he did not look older. I saw by a Belfast paper that Mr West is still the incumbent of the parish and that there was a Sunday School celebration of the different denominations and an excursion train to Lady Ansleys at Catlewellan. Do you often see my .. and kind friend Fannie Hughes. How is she and how many children has she. Also Willy Aiken is he doing well and in Belfast. Give them please my affectionate remembrance. I have lost site of many old and dear friends since I came to the United States. For so many years after I came here I was in so miserable health that I had no energy to keep up correspondence though my heart was longing to hear from distant friends. I suppose Mr Campbell has long since gone hope. Nannie had a few sad lines from him after Mrs Campbell's death. He made us feel very melancholy.

This is a long selfish letter all about myself. Still I had the vanity to think there was nothing you would like better than news of us. I hope I shall hear soon from you. My Dear Mrs Parkinson address is at the top of this letter, but to the care of Professor Trimble. There are four and without this precaution it might go to some other's wife. John (my husband) asks me to make his regards respectfully to one and all of your dear loved circle. Tell me every thing of yourself and young people when you write and every thing else that has an interest that comes from you. My love warm and true to yourself first and the many loved ones in your circle. I am your unchanged and attached.

Kate Trimble.

(The next letter is missing!)