I consider it a privilege as well as a pleasure to contribute a few lines each year to the Cousins Book, but some of us let business interfere with pleasure and the letter is neglected, - that was my case last year but never again.

Of course the most of you know by this time that the distinguished travellers [sic], Lish and Kate, have just paid a flying visit¹ to the Pacific Coast on account of the serious illness of my sister, Nellie, who I am glad to say is now getting along nicely, and while they enjoyed the summer like weather of Oregon, I think "the call of the wild" tract of Pine Creek², called Lish and his friends and home life of home³ called Kate, so we bade them goodby again and they are now on their way back to where the sun rises and the Cousins are more numerous, - anyway we have had a very enjoyable visit with a wonderful couple who can pack their grips over night and start for the end of the trail thousands of miles away and reach it as spry and as fresh as a couple of kids.

And now that they have proven how easy it is why not some of the rest of you Cousins try it out just once an see what a hearty welcome the Cousins of Oregon will give you?

This is the first of April in Oregon and everything is in bloom, - fresh garden truck coming in from the J & P gardners [sic] and everything advanced like June in Pennsylvania. We do not know the change of seasons except from the calendar but sometimes I long for a bob-sled ride on the Dug road⁴ and a skate on the old Cowanesque, - and some day I'm going to do it.

With best wishes to all, I am,