My Dear Miss Gilbert

You will very likely be surprised
to get a letter from me, and perhaps you will
be astonished at hearing from me at this place -
It would hardly have occurred to me to write
you but I had made up my mind that I should
have the pleasure of making you a call at Amherst

I expected to have gone from here to Springfield
and to have gone west by the way of Albany - but it
turns out that I have to go back to New York again
from here - and ? not being able to see you I do the
next best thing - and write -- We came down from
Milwaukee abot [sic] two weeks since - Mrs. McGregor
is visiting our friends at Lyons and I have been
spending a few days in New York - We shall go west
again in about ten days though before we leave I
want to spend a day or two in Geneva -

Mrs. McGregor & I speak often of your promised
visit to us at Milwaukee and we shall never
give up expecting it till you come -

I write to you at Amherst on information from
my friend Brigham as to your residence - and
I take it for granted he is correct in the matter -

How does it happen that you have never
made your intended visit to Grand Havers -
We heard once last fall that you were actually

We shall be at Lyons for some days yet &
should be glad to hear from you there - and to
know whether you really are ever coming west -
whether you are fixed at Amherst & etc. -

I have always been in expectation of seeing
your brothers or one of them at any rate but have
never been so fortunate - Perhaps they come
to Milwaukee without calling on me - If they
do - do you write & teach them better behaviour
- I really feel quite grateful to Mr. Brigham as
but for him I should have lost all track
of you - I don't know whether Mr. & Mrs.
VanVranken are still living at Geneva or
in fact whether they are living still - And
my little friend Mary has probably grown
to be a great girl that I should not know if
I were to see her -

Now do write to me either at Lyons or
Milwaukee and give an account of yourself
and believe me ever

     Most Respectfully & Truly Your Friend
          John P. McGregor

To
     Miss Susan Gilbert