_Custom House_, Novr. 14th [1839]
_My dearest Wife_,
May God sustain you under this affliction. I have long dreaded it for
your sake. Oh, let your heart be full of love for me now, and realise
how entirely my happiness depends on your well-being. You are not your
own, dearest--you must not give way to grief. Were it possible, I
would come to see you now.