20

Tabor, Iowa
May, 27th, 1879.

Professor C. E. Bessey,

My Dear Sir -

Yours of the
26th [?] was received this morning.
I regret very much that it seems
unpracticable for me to come to
Ames as you suggest. The [?]
would suit me very well but two
engagements hinder me from [?].

Well, I am engaged for a Summer
School at Idaho Springs, Col. in August
next, and it is useless for me to
try to get excused from my duties
here next fall (our term begins
early in September) unless I sever
[?] here wholly which I
should be unwilling to do as an uncer-