regard to her babe, when she told us that the child was not hers, but that of a soldier who was killed at Lookout Mountain and its mother had died a month ago, and she being an acquaintance of its mother had taken till she could get a good home for it.  It was a very bright looking little boy and had no near relatives.  O! I did want to take the poor little orphan to my heart and be a mother to him! and I was about to ask the woman two three times where she lived and her name, but the uncertainty of having a home myself and some one to help me raise him, kept me back;  I would like  to take a child to raise and would if it be the orphan of a soldier.  Would you not like to too?  But my paper will soon be full, and I want to talk a little on financial matters.  I heartily enter into the plan of trying to get out debt while Green backs will go at par on them, and I am very sorry that Father did not take 50.00 in gold for the poney, why that's too valuable an animal for me to keep.  I will help you all I can when I get home.  I haven't been doing that this summer.  If I had staid at home it would have been about 150.00 in our pockets; but a favorite adage of yours which I adopt is "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof", and its "done spent" now and can't be helped, can it?  Well I've worried along with this, by talking a little and writing a little, till at last they all left me and went to bed; Now it is 9 1/2 and I must bid you good night my own dear husband.  Come home this fall if you can; Heaven bless and keep you is the prayer of your Mary
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