Break it to father cautiously--you understand the need of that--break it to him cautiously, for he has had such cruel hard fortune, and is so stricken by it that great good news might prostrate him more surely than even bad, for he is used to the bad but is grown sadly unaccustomed to the other.

Tell Laura--tell all the children.

And write to Clay about it if he is not with you yet.

You may tell Clay that whatever I get he can freely share in-freely.

He knows that that is true--there will be no need that I should swear to that to make him believe it.