Hd Qrs U.S. Mil Tel.
		Memphis May. 14th / 63
      Friend Emma.
		     Your kind letter
has Just come to hand. and I thought
I would be more prompt this time
than I was before., So I will answer
your Kind letter. Immediatly. “Excuse 
the last reproduction.” I had began to
think that in my. last. letter I had
written Something to you that I ought
not to have done. for I did not
receive any answer. but at last I
was deceived by receiveing a good
letter in return.. If in any of my
letters you Should find anything that
I ought not to have put there; please 
pass it buy. unnoticed. as every. motive
on my behalf Shall be.. for the bennifit
of your Mark. [illegible in original] yourself. I would not
in any way. write a thing to you
that was intended for any other
purpos than for your good. or for
the purpos of encourageing you on
the behalf of. my. dear Cousin. Mark.
When I read your letter. my thoughts


were turned to the one. whom
I have promised to love and
protect through life. although I
have been acquainted with her for
five years I have never received
any Such letters as you write to
Mark. although She is as true to
me as you are to mark. She has
never written me a Single line
which has communicated to me her
love, always when I write her it is
nothing but love. but the answer is
always So cool that it makes me
feel very bad. I think She is very
queer on this point. When I am by
her Side. She then tells me all. for
She knows that I am the One whome
She chose for her partner through
life. but She will not trust me with
Secret by letter. well I dont think
that my love affairs will Interest you
So I will Stop writeing on that subject
but pardon me. Emma what I have
writen I feel in my heart
I See Mark almost every day. and
I am pleased to Say. he is as
happy as he can be. in the [illegible in original]

of the one whome he expects to 
love and cherish through life
his health never was better. and
he is as fat as a lion. I am
Sorry you did not give my love
to the Miss Wilkinson's for from what
Mark has told me. I Judged they
were. all right and. was great
hands. for. correspondents. and I
thought I would try and. see.
what. kind of letters they would
write. but thought by your giveing
them my Love they might want to 
be more anxious to here from me.
but I guess we will let the thing
drop.. there is one thing Sure. when
Mark. comes home. I will return with
him. and we will boath call over
to Chickeming. and then I will see
Cousin Emma.
		  I must close as it
is a getting late. and I can hardly
Keep my Eye's Open. Please excuse this
poor writeing for I am So nervis I
can hardly make a mark: correct.
		From Your. Cousen
Write soon.		W. Deloss. Hawkins