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Nice France, March 16th '69
My dear Mrs White:
Your letter recently received has afforded me much pleasure & believe me, in this far distant land, you are frequently remembered both in my thoughts & prayers. Past friendship, through the trying years of the war, and the fearful loss, we both have sustained in our dearly beloved husbands are ties, too strong for time or distance to sever.
Ill health rendered it absolutely necessary that I should come South, & by degrees, I find myself regaining strength. For sorrow, such as ours, there is [illegible] before the grave and Heaven, with reunion with our loved ones, can alone heal, bleeding, broken hearts. Whenever I am feeling so sadly, I lead a life of isolation & retirement, although I have been here several weeks, I am sure few or none are aware of it. I am not feeling sufficiently well in mind or body, to undertake Italy this winter. [Next?] winter, I shall try to come
down in Nov. The season is already so far advanced & nothing I could see could interest me in the terrible month of April. I feel that in a few days I must make the afforded return to my young son, who is now in Frankfort. When I visit Italy some months hence, it would be such a pleasure to have you as a companion. We could visit places of interest without being recognized. Of course, Americans abound everywhere--- & in my morning walks in the sunshine you can always recognise them
very often, by their loud voices so early, as ten or eleven in the morning, velvet costumes&c&cFull dress, when one is sight seeing or in quest of health & change, must certainly be a trial. After we have suffered heavy afflictions, life is at best, a fearful endurance. To me, every thing looks so desolate. I often wonder why I was spared, when my darling husband was taken, and to suffer so much too! I hope, my dear friend, you will write to me often. Please direct to Phillip, Nicoll, Schmidt, bankers, Frankfort a Maine---Germany. With apologies for so hurried a letter & with remembrances to your amiable family I
[written vertically across page 1] remain always truly yours
Mary Lincoln