Scott - Aug 22nd '70
Dear Charles & Family,
I suppose you received your Pa's letter that he wrote in answer to yours. He wanted that I should write some thin, but I told him I would wait a spell. But I did not mean to wait so long. We have had a very hot and dry summer here. Dryer than it has ever ben since we have lived here, but religion here is dryer than the earth, in this part of the town. They have Methodist meetings to the corners, but we don't go very often. We don't feel like going over the hills as we used too, but we must try to live religion at home as well as we can. I should be glad if we lived where meetings were near, but I feel as tho our days on earth are few. I feel greatly to rejoice to hear that you have chosen that good part that cannot be taken away from you and made sure the true riches that cannot be taken away from you which the world cannot give nor take away. We have great reason to thank the Lord for all his benefits.
I feel very glad that Dwight H. is doing so well for himself. I hope he will walk in wisdoms ways which are pleasantness and all her paths are pease. If he goes to Friendship, I hope we shall get a chance to see him. It is very wrong for Ans to take Celestias things for their own use. They have no wright to them. They ought to ben kept good for Dwight. Harriets things are being kept nice for her child. Mr Marsh did not take any thing that was hers. Lucretia think I had better write to Ans and tell him that we want Dwight to have his mothers things, but I don't feel as if I could. It is as much as I can do to write to my children. Can't do that often enough, for they have all left us. We have not even a grandchild that we can see very often. You know Anna did come home most every year, but now it is not so. I believe it is seven years since she has ben here. I have been there twice since.
We have a great desire to see you once more and your wife and children, but I feel that is very doubtful. We will be glad to hear from you as often as consistent.
Our healths are as good as can be expected considering our age, but we are passing away. We have to work harder than we are able, in order to live. I have sick spells sometimes, hard pain and vomiting, weak limbs and sometimes fall down, but they don't last a great while generally. Your father has been troubled with a disease of the kidneys for several years. I expect that will eventually end his days bie and bie.
We want to hear how your prospects are, as to temporal affairs, the prospect of your crops, etc. Your Aunt Fisk is smart, but your Uncle is verry lame, but well otherwise. They have had first rate luck in letting their farm.
September 4th
It is two weeks since I began this letter and I hope that I shall make out to finish it and get it to the PO soon.
We want to send you some dryed apples this faul. I think you said elder berries did not grow there. We can send some of them. Your Pa says he has got some boxes and bands that come off an old buggy that were good. He will send them to you, if you would like them.
We have just had a good rain, only not enough yet, but it looks as tho there would be more soon. We hope your cane is doing well this year. We have a good farmer on the farm this year. Has got good crops for such a dry season altho it is so dry there will not be so much better made. Last year we had verry miserable work on the farm. It made us rather poor.
We hear that Seymour is in the place where he goes to thresh with his steam enjine. He left it there last faul. He has not bin here yet. We shall expect him next saturday. He left here last november and we have not seen any of our children since. Have you heard anything from Frank yet? Let us hear from you soon, and from Dwight H. So I must close with my love and best wishes to you and Louisa and the children.
From your affect_______ Mother,