One of many future times he took shelter from adversity with Aunt Harriett.

 Dearest Mother.

                                               I suppose you will receive a letter from Aunt Hattie before mine reaches you.  I came down to M (arblehead) The day after I wrote you and talked it over with Aunt Hattie and Grandma (Delia Wightman). I told them that the university physicians had advised me to give up college.They cheered me and were very kind.  The next morning Aunt Hattie and I went out to Cambridge.  She had an interview with the dean and explained the situation to him.  I had told Aunt Hattie that I disliked the idea of giving up college and thought that I could be all right.  She has been awful kind to me and proposes to have me stay with her two weeks and get my sleep back.

           The Dean has been very kind and excused me from my examinations and said he would do anything he could to help me.  I don’t know what I could have done without Aunt Hattie my mind was in such a state I didn’t know which way to turn.  I suppose she told you what a time she had with Mrs. Watson and the misunderstanding between myself and Mrs. Watson as to sickness.  She bore the brunt of the argument and helped me pack up and carry the small articles over to Perkins Hall.  I introduced her to Swift and she has a fine opinion of him.  That night Aunt Hattie went back to M—.  I slept in my new quarters that evening and had a better nights rest than I had had for some time. Swift was very nice and did everything he could to make me comfortable. 

              The next day it stormed and therefore Aunt Hattie could not come out.  I arranged my things, those that I had brought, in place.  In the afternoon Mr. Swift, Elijah’s father, came over and advised me about the trunk and told me what to say to Mrs. Watson.  Elijah had written him the night I came and told him to come over and straighten things out for me.  I told him that it was too much trouble and all that but he wouldn’t listen to it.  I went up and had a friend talk with Mrs. Watson and tried to get my trunk.  She would not consent to let it go.  She let me get some things that I needed and when I returned I told Mr. Swift what she said.  He offered to get it for me and said that he would see that the trunk was taken away.  They, he and his father, were very kind indeed.  Mr. Swift invited me over to Boston for dinner.  The family live at Trinity Court.  I went down to M— that night and have been here ever since.

              I am feeling better and am sleeping much better. I keep outdoors as much as possible.  I think I will get to feeling better soon.  Aunt Hattie thinks that you had better come out either the 21st or 22nd.  She has given you a very cordial invitation. I feel as if I should need you when I go back To college.  It is  there that it will come the hardest.  I am sure the trip and change would benefit you very much.  She would like to have you bring Lillian (his stepsister) and everything would be done to make you comfortable.  The weather is fine here now.  If you can you had better come.  I will write again in a few  days.  Aunt Hattie has been very, very kind to me.  I don’t know what I would have done without her.  She has taken charge of everything.  She sincerely invites you to come, mother and I know will make it pleasant for you.  With oceans of love.

                                       Your Loving son,

                                                                  Ray C. Risley.*

With love to all and  kiss to Lillian.

*Years later Ray Carrol wrote at the top of the letter: “This was the nervous breakdown in freshman year.  How I suffered for want of sleep.”  My grandfather would have greater cause for loss of sleep the following year when his ‘on the job’ summer fling turned serious in the Fall and Winter of his sophomore year.