RK-404

[circled] 199

Monticello Dec 12^th/57-

Dear Cousin Robert:

How many more times I shall have to make excuses to you for not answering your letters, I know not, can you ever ^Ever forgive me for my long silence! I fear not, perhaps even now your brow is clouded with vexation, that I have so treated you, or perhaps you say to your self will Nellie cares nothing for me (like any naughty boy would you know) so I wont care whether she writes to me or not; but perhaps these are all imaginings with me and you think nothing at all about it; I am afraid cousin mine that you are so devoted to your Natural History that you will not love me so well as you once did

Now you must know that I am a very jealous young miss and with those I do not wish anything to come and displace me from my seat in their hearts, much less Snakes and Lizzards (I am very sure I hav'nt spelled the name correctly)

Now Robert I am sure you deserve a good scolding as well as I do, here you have been traveling all over the United States or part of them, going just as far from home as it would have been had you come here, but never once turned you face this way. I think you have treated us right shabbily in not coming, you could have done just as well had you come here; I was looking over the Smithsonian Report the other day (which I recieved a week or two since) and observed that among all the collections

of reptiles, &c, that had been sent there, there wasnt a single Aligator, now if you had come here your self you might have got lots of them. Perhaps you think I ought to have sent some, but the truth is those to whom I applied to get them for me were not as enthusiastic about the getting of Aligators as you would have been. However I have been promised several small ones in the Spring. We sent the collection on to Washingon a few weeks since I hope they will arrive safe, for there are some beautiful specimens among them, and I think you will be pleased with them. Dr May gave us one or two jars also a little boy named Charles Mikell. Dr May had a large, live Rattlesnake I dont know what he will do with

it, perhaps he will send it on also when he is tired of keeping it. Cousin Robert I will sen this $5.00 bill back to you as I have no use for it.

Ma recieved a long letter from Alice a week or two ago. Alice writes a pretty letter and very interesting too. Last Sunday I wrote three letters over thirteen pages long. I was pretty busy all the morning I can tell you Well I must tell close as it is time to go to church. Write me a good long letter about how you are spend ing your time &c Do you Spen Christmas at home? Ma and all the family send a great deal of love to you and so does your affectionate cosin PS Nellie

If you happen to be in Washington Christmas and happen to see any pretty new "Poem" do not forget cousin Nellie