City of Lawrence Kansas Territory Dec 3, 54
My Dear Mary –
This Sunday Evening I avail myself of the generous offer of a friend to pen you again a very few lines - You will see by this that I have got no place to call my home – But I hope ere long to have you with me and then I feel that I will truly have a home –
I should not have written this evening were it not for the consideration that tomorrow I again start for the up country – to be gone I know not how long – perhaps 3 or 4 days perhaps – a couple of weeks Hence I thought I had better

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write to you this evening as I might not get a chance to write to you again for some time to come
I am going about 40 miles up the Kansas River to assist in laying out a new town – I do wish you were here, Mary, I should never go back again to Meadville – except merely to visit and scarcely that. I have found the very best of people in Kansas. I am becoming more and more pleased with them every day, and I know you would like them and the place were you here - Last Thursday I was invited and attended a “thanksgiving dinner” – Several gentlemen and Ladies were pleasant – and we had

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a good time generally –
The gentleman who favors me with the privileage of writing this note says if you will come out he will immediately surrender all right and title to his mansion – It is one of the best in the place – I will describe it – In shape it is exactly like the roof of an ordinary house – about 14 ft long – the floor is Earth – such as the Creator made – next the frame work of the building – which are rough poles stuck together – is a layer of brush – next a layer of sod or turf – and next a covering of prarygrass - If you would like the accommodations, let me know – and yet I have seen beautiful and refined and educated women occupy just such mansions – In none in

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City have any better – Even Mrs Nichols the great lecturer on Womens rights and Editor of a newspaper has been living here a long time in just such a house –
I dont know yet when I shall be home – perhaps soon – may be not till spring - I can tell you more in my next letter I hope –
Tell Drew I will try and write to him as soon as I can find a place to write in or upon – Tell him the country pleases me much – That if far exceeds my most sanguine expectations - Give my love to all - Address to “Lawrence Kansas Territory”-
Mary, Dear, I love you much and Oh how I would like to see you tonight – but – it cannot be – So good night – love - good night – good night write often –
Holliday