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Hartford

October 11, 1815.

My dear Sir:-

I remember story Miss Huntley was tell me. Old many years Mr. Colt little boy name man Peter Colt very much curls little boy hair Oh! very beautiful mama lap little boy comb curl love to see O beautiful. Morning long man preacher coat black come bow ask mama give little boy hair make wigs very beautiful preacher give, mama no preacher yes oh yes talk long man say come back little boy scissors cut hair white curls all in heap make wig preacher am very much glad proud little - little boy head very cold mama tie hand kerchief warn, tears no more mama very sorry. I hope my hair never cut make wigs. Your affectionate,

Alice Cogswell.

In a letter from M.F.C., of the same date, Alice's letter is explained as follows:

As soon as I knew of Mr. Upton's sailing I proposed to Alice to write you by him. She readily consented, but said she was at a loss what to write. I told her to write the story Miss Huntley related to her from Mr. Colt. The circurnistances I will relate, that you may the better understand it. -Mr. Peter Colt, from Patterson, was lately here on a visit; he told her (Miss Huntley) what happened to him, when he was a little boy. It seems he had a very thick head of white curled hair; a clergyman who was visiting his mama, took a fancy to it, for the purpose of making himself a wig; his Mama, at frrst, refused, but after a little urging, "talk long", as Alice calls it, she consented, and the hair was cut off and the wig made. You will observe that the conversation between his mama and the preacher is somewhat in the form of a dialogue.

Yours affectionately

M. F. Cogswell