Jane Melheme Wylie (Jen) Wheeling, W. V. to Louisa E. Wylie, Care Prof Theophilus A. Wylie , Bloomington, Indiana

              Wheeling, August 3rd  [1861], Saturday afternoon, My dear Lou, I've just been reading over your March letter and that snow storm you had on Wednesday cooled me off considerable as this is a terribly hot day. It is about four months and a half since I got your letter. You were eight months in answering mine. I have almost ceased to make promises having failed so often to fulfill them, but I think after a test of twenty years of affection and friendship, if our correspondence cease it will cease on your part, never on mine. Now what in all this long time have I gathering up to write you. I wish it were something to make us both very happy. Oh! I'm so tired of looking for bright tomorrows, but I have a continual sorrow in my heart which grows with the moss on that tomb stone. No doubt you, like us, are almost engrossed in this awful war. When it first began I thought t'would be a few skirmishes, that the south would be easily subdued.