Lachen, May 19, 1864

My Dear Ones!

Taking advantage of this good opportunity, I take pen in hand to communicate to you the complete [?] good health [/?] of my and our [...] parents and sister Babette. Today is Monday, and on Friday evening I arrived here happy and healthy. You can imagine our joy in seeing each other again, but this joy is only illusory, because in a few hours it will be over. In addition, I [would like to] tell you that I got your valued letter and saw that everyone was well, which is always the most precious thing in life. I saw the photographs of brother Emmanuel’s children, in regard to which I was very astonished about these children [?] unbidden^[1] [/?]

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In order not to [?] destroy [/?] these lines about my destination, I am including these lines for you and sister Babette will let you know in the following all Lachen news. I saw that you are giving us many gifts, for which we owe you a very great deal. Oh, if I were granted this luck/happiness of being allowed to remain with my family, but I have to tell you two that I [?] am burdened [/?] with having to be in [?] Aschaffenburg [/?] again. Maybe the Almighty will help, so that I get a break/vacation soon and then I will again try my utmost. Lachen is still the same old thing and yet I would rather be there than in a beautiful city. Now I am ending this [?] thing [/?] but not in my heart. I greet you and kiss you many thousands of times. Kiss each other for me. Your brother,

Karl Mayer