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Letter from Walter Reed to Emilie B. Lawrence, December 13, 1875

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Willet's Point,
New York Harbor,
Dec. 13th 1875.
My own, dear Emilie;

    Your letter
of the 10th Inst. has just been re-
ceived & I delay not a moment
in answering. I wrote you a let-
ter, this morning, when I was feel-
ing very sad & gloomy, and I
wish so much that I had it
in my possession again, that
I might destroy it & write a
more cheerful one. One sen-
tence in it, I believe, was to the
effect that I would make no
promises in the Future; and
at the time I wrote so sad
was I feeling over the fact
of having written harshly to

 
you, my precious E, that I felt as if I had no
confidence in myself. But, to-night, thank Heaven
I have shaken off the gloom somewhat and I
would not write in so sad a strain as I
did, this morning- Oh! my sweet, my darling Emilie,
I hasten to offer you my sincerest sympathy
in this your time of distress, and I pray that
The Good Being will watch over you & yours &
soon restore you to perfect health- How
I long to be with you, if, perchance, I might
be able to supply your slightest want- So
that I could speak some cheering word
to you. Oh! my own, darling E. I am so
uneasy about you- I am so afraid
that e're you are strong enough, that you
will exert yourself in assisting to nurse the
poor little suffering boy- Would that I were
present to take some of the burden off
your hands! Please extend to your sister my
most sincere & heartfelt sympathy for her in
this affliction & tell her that I earnestly hope
that her little boy is already out of danger-
I will not forget to send up a prayer to
Heaven for his recovery & restoration to health
her love- If you are nursing him, my darling,
be sure to spend a part of your time in the
 
open air, for as the disease (Typhoid Fever) is
slightly contagious, you might contract it if you
remained too constantly at his bed-side. Take
every precaution with your health, my darling,
& should you be prostrated with the same illness,
do not lose a moment in notifying me of the
same & I will be at your side as soon [as]
time will permit me. I will write to you
often & will be satisfied with only a word
from you- just enough to inform [me] of your health-
I would not have you over-exert yourself by writing, for
all the world!
Good Night, my sweet, my precious, my love, my all-
my own dear Emilie-

Ever, your fond & devoted

Walter
.