[Punctuation has not been altered during transcription.]

Dear Sir,

In reply to yours of the 19 Inst. received last night, I can only say that I advised John ¹ when he came to me that it was his duty to let you know how matters stood of my own personal knowledge I know nothing & can only say that rumor has it, as John has informed you that Male visitors go to the House & stay undue periods this has only come to my knowledge quite lately or I should have felt it my duty as one of Alfreds old friends to have reported to you but until I have something tangible I did not like to awaken suspicions in your mind I can only say that Mrs. did not bear the best of Characters before Alfred Married her this also I have only from hear say, but now it is in the mouths of old women and they generally in such matters come near the truth & yet from the womans peculiar diseases I can hardly credit the matter John who has been staying some little time in the house ought to be better informed on the Subject than anyone else. Alice has not said a word about the matter to Mrs. Hart & there may be really nothing in it after all yet Even a Suspicion of the like as to the House is not the place for young girls, Hattie seems needded [sic] to her Stepmother but I do not think the others are, I am at a loss to advise you what to do with the Children unless you put one of the older girls to keep house and take a small house & look after the others it could not cost more than at present, I have no doubt as you said to John that the affair will if true Shortly cure itself in the mean time I will try & keep posted how matters go but must say that the Children are not very communicative on their affairs, Mrs. Baker sent for Mrs. Hart a few days ago & the way in which she talked over matters relating to the girls joining the Church & other religious matters my wife can hardly credit rumors, but Mrs. B. is a Clever woman & may be laying out for a break up, of course what I have said is only between ourselves & I trust will not be referred to in any way between you & Mrs. Baker as I have as I said before no real tangible [?] in my own knowledge to go upon, you may trust me that when any real proof come to my ken I will at once advise you in the mean time with best regards to you & Mrs. Baker I am,

Ever yours truly,

Henry Hart

¹ John P. Baker is the eldest of the 7 children of James Alfred Baker and his first wife Charlotte Puckridge, who died, likely sometime after 1864. James Alfred subsequently married Maria Mudge and then died in 1876 leaving Maria with his 7 children. As a result of the rumours about Maria reported to him by John P., James Alfred's father, Rev. Thomas Baker (the children's grandfather) eventually removed the children from Maria's care. See W3155 as well as W3013, W3161, Farmer 12.