
          East Chester 5 April 1853

 My dear friend

 Once more restored (though
 as yet imperfectly) to the use of the pen, I
 have Pleasure in satisfying your kind solicitude
 about me. I am now able to hobble about on
 crutches, & suffer but little pain from any of 
 my wounds, but my Progress now seems slow.
 There is no flexure of the new cartilage of the 
 broken knee; nor any return of nervous sensation
 about the Head except to the Eye, which I 
 can use for 2 or 3 hours a day in reading; the 
 senses of taste & smell are still wanting, of the 
 latter particularly I have not a trace. As I
 can as yet take little or no exercise, my muscular
 strength has returned very slightly. However I
 consider myself as one snatched from Death
 by the special mercy of God, & I trust am resigned
 to his good pleasure concerning me.
        