My dear Grandpa,

I hope that you are not annoyed at me for the unbusinesslike manner in which I have treated your letter of the 1^st inst. containing the remittance of [$35.00?], and also for the length of time you have been waiting an answer to yours of the [19^th?] of May. In explanation, I will confirm what you have no doubt concluded viz. that for a considerable time both before and after the wedding we had from two to [four?] guests constantly with us, added to which, for several days previous to the wedding we had [three?] and four dressmakers in the house all the time, to say nothing about the [buying?], cooking, planing [sic] &c., &c., which invariably attend such occasions.

I must however be careful to ask you, not to judge as to the [grandeur?] of the preparations by the [patter?] which we made over them. Alice, I think it may have been for the purpose of keeping Miss Harbin and others in the dark, had made no previous preparations whatever, our house was small, the weather unbearably hot, and our experience in such preparations very limited; so you can easy imagine that we did not accomplish nearly what might have been expected from the amount of trouble and expense that was gone to. However I am happy to be able to tell you that not one of our arrangements ended incomplete, and though most of them [much?] exceeded our calculations we have the benefit of the experience for our [extra?] trouble and expense. It may be pertinent here to remark that Minnie says "if she were going to get married we could have everything just as nice as Alice did, without going to more than one half of the trouble or expense; which (as I do not think it in the least likely that poor Min. will ever take a fancy to a "Mr. Harbin") I consider a very happy conclusion.

In your letter to Minnie you expressed something of a desire to hear about the wedding, and a hope that every thing passed off pleasantly, I can assure you that it did, and that in consideration of the kind of match which Alice was making, and the position in life in which it was going to place her, we spared nothing that was within our power to secure to see that it did pass off both pleasantly and well. Oweing [sic] to our having the acquaintance of but very few gentlemen suitable to invite, and as it was wished that the public should not anticipate the event, we concluded to extend invitations only among our own connection. They were married at half past three, in St. Paul's Cathedral by the Rev. Canon [Sims?]. Attending them at the altar, were Minnie, and my Sister-in-law Miss Gullen, for Brides-maids, Dr. Balmer for Groomsman, Myself to give away the Bride, and last but not in every sense least, came Alfred, with one of Mrs. Puckridge's little girls about the same size, each with large black eyes, each with their hair in ringlets, each dressed in white, one trimmed with cardinal and the other with pale blue and each carrying a minature boquett [sic]. The Ladies were dressed in white tarlatan, the Bride's trimmed with white Satin, Minnie's with Cardinal, and Miss Gullen's with pale blue. The Gentlemen with frock coats, black pants, and white vests. Aunt Jane and Lottie went to see them married. Willie who did not arrive in time to be provided for here had nothing fit to wear for the occasion. But I think that he made up at the breakfast and enjoyed himself as well as any of us.

-----I am called to go out and will have to leave off in the middle of my letter without having touched upon the most important [points?] but will be home on [Wednesday?] and will then send you the remainder with kindest love [?] to you all in which Minnie joins me

I remain your affect. G-son

John P. Baker

¹ The letter is dated May 7^th, but the context indicates that June 7^th is more likely.