Letter from Horace Sumner Lyman on cold weather, a visit from his father, and education

Oakland Jan 12th, 1880.

Your last letter to all of us was entrusted to my care, from which I conclude that you have not lost all confidence in me. I do not understand how it is that the rest have not got your letters, if indeed they have not, because I have sent them all along with mine.

You have heard of the cold spell at home. It is still cold here. We had a little south wind and drizzling rain a few days ago, but it has now cleared off grandly and the weather is as pleasant as could be [denied?]. There was [?] last night.

You speak of coming back in March or [first?] of April. You will not, of course, hurry at all on my account, and you must be very careful not to get into a cold spell. You might take a very severe cold, unless you were careful about that.

I suppose that you will tell all about your trip to Vermont, if you went, or your stay at home, if you did not go.

I have not yet seen Captain [Keeler?], or [?] Griswold. I don’t know when I shall get to the city. It will be imperative for me to go home and teach this summer. Otherwise I cannot go on at all.

We have been having an addition to our [Theol. Sem.] in the shape of Mr. Smith and Mr. Taylor. Smith does not amount to much, Taylor who has just come, seems to be of more account.

I want very much, if I can to go east and [take?] off. The school here does not have very much of a reputation. It is no great credit to a man to have studied here.

I am well. I weigh now 140 ½ lbs; pretty well up for me. I am studying mental science now. The class is not very interesting, Smith, who is not able to know anything about it, Rich, who has studied so little that he don’t comprehend it, and Mr. [Benton?], who is very wandering, do not interest me very much. You need not think that I am disgusted.

I hope you are well. Don’t overwork. Write.

Good bye,

Your loving son,

Horace