Woodrow Wilson to Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre

This is your birthday! May you have many, many happy returns of the day, my darling. I wish I could send you some little souvenir of the anniversary; but here in this quiet valley there is nothing to be had. It is thirty year since I was fifteen: but I think I can imagine how you feel. You will not feel so old again until you are twenty.
I hope that you realize, my pet, how much happiness you have brought your dear mother and myself. You have been a sweet, sweet daughter always. We not only love you deeply, but are ever so proud of you, because you have character and love that which is noble and right. May God keep and bless you always.
I need not tell you that I enjoyed your second letter as much as the first. It is very interesting that you should divide up into groups, as you do, in that populous cottage and have a variety of preferences as to what you choose to fill the days with. I think that I should prefer the sailing, as Margaret does, for I am naturally aquatic; but I should greatly like a crawl into the Doone Den, too, and see what daring and doubtful deeds would come into my head. No doubt I should think of very dark and dreadful things. I hope you got the pistols you wanted! The sort you asked for do not, I should judge, come under the law against carrying concealed weapons!One day is just like another here, now, — even in weather. For some days after I got here it rained almost every day and we had uncomfortable keen airs out of the East; but now it has settled down to be kind, and we have clouds, apparently, only to give us fine shadow effects on the mountains, — only to make striking contrasts between a deep valley filled to the brim with light and a towering mountain in quiet, restful shadow, looking blue and soft and inviting. A great many things in the woods about here remoind me of our own woods in Canada; but the trees here are not so fine. Most of the growth is second growth: you can tell that by the multitude of white birches. But there is wilderness left, too, and only a little casting about in the depths of the woods will bring you upon all sorts of surprises, as fine, even, if you are lucky, as the Ala Baba cliff just above our island. Even the well beaten paths pass all sorts of romantic spots. Not that I myself hunt far and wide. I keep within two or three miles of home; but there are delightful spots near at hand as well as far away.Mama seems to have been delighted at the surprise Cousin Mary treated her to. It was so enjoyable to see Cousin Mary, and it was so satisfactory to hear all about her darlings. It is not easy for her to stand the long separation! Up here, surrounded by friends though I am, I feel singularly far away from home and isolated, and shall be glad to get aboard the train on Monday morning. There is no place quite so delightful as home, do what you will.Love unmeasured to darling Margaret and Nellie and for my sweet Jessie.