I am writing you to-night before an old-time open fire, and I cut in the woods the fuel which feeds it. I am thankful that deafness is no bar to labor nor to writing. If it were not for the illness of my wife, I believe I should write a book this winter.... I send you with this letter a copy of the Commencement number of the _Orient_, by which you will see that Bowdoin boys feel their oats and have aspired to govern themselves. May God bless old Jeff, and may his shadow never grow less.
You may be assured it is from no lack of affection or sympathy with you in your mishap that I have not written before, but a complication of circumstances, some of them of a very sad nature, has rendered it impossible. In the first place, I strained my heel cord either by jumping out of the wagon or by wearing a very tight congress boot, and had to limp around for about ten days, but am all right now. Don’t you think, the second night it was done, just as I was going to bed, two men came from Bailey Island for me to attend a funeral the next day at two o’clock. I told them it was impossible as I could with greatest difficulty hobble to the barn. They said there was no minister in town but me, and if I did not go, the person would have to be buried without any service. Upon that I told them to go to John Randall’s and tell him to come over in the morning, and take me to the intervale point where they must meet me with a boat. John came; we rode to the point. John took me in his arms and put me into the boat. When we were across, two men, one on each side, led me to the house; when we got to the doorstep one of them said, “Mr. Kellogg, do you think you will be able to preach?” I replied, “Put me before the people, and the Lord will tell me what to say.” The next morning my foot and leg were swollen to the knee, and I could not get on a rubber boot, but had to wear arctics.... I am all right now, however, and carried a bushel of apples on my back to-day.
I put the harness on the colt this week for the first time since the 10th of last August, the week before I was hurt, and he behaved so well that I had to give him some sugar. I have cleaned him all up, combed his hair and washed his face, and he goes to school every day. He is a strapping great fellow and full of grit.