My dear Brother,¹

Mrs. Walker gave me a letter handed her by Mrs. Ewing this morning being the exact copy of one sent to me by [pa?]through the post office dated 11 of July which I got the following day, and I should have answered had there been any thing requiring an answer. I am sorry you should have troubled yourself to copy and send it a second time for really the--production was of such a nature that it would have mattered little had it mis carried [sic].

You told me the letter I sent you was a copy of ones my dear friends had written for me [.] You surely had forgotten that I had been to the Academy for the whole year to learn composition writing [.] You must think I employed my time to little purpose for I am not capable of writing a letter consisting of one page only [.] Now believe me when I want to send a letter I [own?] sole composition I wont [sic] trouble any person to write my letters and then pass them off as my own productions as some of my worthy friends are in the habit of doing.

I am sorry you have got upon the wrong track suspecting James Wilkes² and his fair lady if you knew all the particulars you would not be making such statements [.] You say it is reported that Frederic [sic] and I are going to the States to have a mock marriage performed [,] here again you must be mistaken in names as I know James is going there shortly but I am not aware that I am going in a few days for here I am settled down as quietly as possible minding to my own business and I really think it would be much to my friends credit to be following my example. When I go to the States it will be reality and no mockery about it so you two you are labouring under quite a wrong impression.

With all due affection to pa and yourself I remain yours sincerely,

Mary Anne [Baker]

¹ John Orange Baker's name sometimes appears in the archive as John Grange Baker which is incorrect according to baptismal records at the Orange Street Congregational Chapel, Portsea, England (Minnes 5).

² She may mean James Walker. Mary Anne had stayed with the Walkers after leaving the home of one of her brothers (most likely John), feeling that her freedom had been unbearably restrained there. Her engagement to Frederick F. Wilkes, her sister's widower, had caused great anguish and controversy in the family and her father, Rev. Thomas Baker, refused to see her again. See W2855 for more details.