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next time, except the letter arrives before I leave here;
but I will try to be punctual afterwards.

I believe I have not written to you since I received
your daguerrotype; I am very much obliged to you
for it, and shall often look at it, as I cannot have
the pleasure of seeing the original. When I first
opened it, I thought you must have changed
very much; but on examining it more closely
and comparing it with the one you gave
me some time ago, I could see the points
of resemblance much more plainly that at first.
I think, however, that, if it is a good likeness,
you have improved some in appearance
since I saw you last. You were then rather thin;
and it appears as if you had gained considerably in that respect.

The girls here tell me that I look fatter than I did
when I first came to Charles Co. but I cannot
see much difference myself. My duties have been
so much less laborious and worrying that they were
during the last part of the time at Mr. Jessop's, that
I think it is quite likely that I have gained a few pounds.