Handwritten letter from Franklin Ballou in Pittsburgh to ? (name illegible; possibly Herrin Linbrow Gunn or Gums?) in Philadlephia. Date may be 1873 or possibly 1876? Handwriting difficult to decipher. Summary: Ballou’s miserable ears are giving him so much trouble that he has almost decided to come to Philadelphia and have Dr. Turnbull (?) operate on them. This would require two operations with a day in-between, and “as there are no golden chords that would hold [him] to the city of quaker devilment,” he wonders if he might spend the interim with XXX and Polyglot Tafel (Louis H. Tafel?), providing that his presence would not interfere with their “manly efforts to escape from the toils of ignorance.” He supposes studies are somewhat suspended on Sunday, and as this day works best for him, he would like to know what they would say “about having [his] apparition at Rev. Brighton on the fifth proximo.” He would aim to leave Philadelphia Saturday afternoon, and he wonders where and when he could find XXX and what his telegraph address is. Ballou ends the letter by calling attention to a touching phrase beautifully written by “one of our leading German writers” which he feels shows a great depth and purity of soul. Names mentioned: Dr. Turnbull (Turnbule? Tumbull? Tumbule?), Polyglot Tafel (prob. Louis H. Tafel, possibly Leonard/Leonhardt Tafel), Rev. Brighton Places mentioned: Philadelphia