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STAFFORD & WARD REAR OF 28 WEST BAY STREET JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Oct 7th
My dear Miss Hartzell: I do not know if you are a believer in transmition of thoughts, but I am. I have been thinking of you for the past ten days. I felt ashamed of myself for not answering your last letter. I will tell you just how it happened. I kept putting it off from day to day. You know how much I dislike writing. I do so little of it I forget how to spell or form my letters. The fact of it, I am ashamed of myself but, when it comes to drawing & figures & plans, I am right dar. I do all of that for the firm. You see we have three in the office so I fake all the writing off on them. I think I can best anyone here at mentle calculation, but spelling & writing, I never could do or I don't want to learn so, you see, it is cronic (/) with me & a hopeless case. I would have very few friends in this world if I had to correspond with them. Now, my dear little girl, you know it all so I hope you will think as kindly of me as you can under the circumstances &, if you say it is only a bad habit, I have gotten in to do not.
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Please do not attribute it to the heart, but the hand. My sisters blow me up for not writing. The fact of the matter is I think I ought to recive about three letters, before I answer one, when they blow me up, I write about three to them every day, but I hardly ever keep it up more than one day. So now, I have told you all my faults, & bad habits except smoking & _ _ _ but, they say the ladies never care for a man that has no bad habits. Well, I was home this summer & had a delightfull time. I think I must have gained a 1/4 of a pound. I had my face taken. I will send you a couple of them if you promise me you will give one of them to --. Oh, by the way, have you heard anything from Mrs. Marshall/ I did not answer her last letter. I recd it four months ago. How is Grandma & Grandpa? Do tell me all the news. I have lots to tell you in my next write. Soon I will write a long letter the next time. Resp yours, TJW