To ED
From Thomas Niles

April 1883

My dear Miss Dickinson

I must apologize for neglecting to reply to yours enclosing some specimens of your poetry. You will excuse me, will you not, when I say that sickness & death compelled me to thrust other things one side for the time.

I am very much obliged to you for the three poems which I have read & reread with great pleasure, but which I have not consumed. I shall keep them unless you order me to do otherwise - in that case I shall as in duty bound obey

Yrs very truly,

T. Niles