Port Byron - Sept. 28th '73
Dear Son Charles & Family,
I now sit down to respond to your last which letter, I received, when I came back from Scott, as I had gone out there to make a visit. And when I got back I had 3 unopened letters, one from Annie and one from your Uncle Daniels daughter, all very exceptable, especially yours. It brougth better news than I expected to hear. I was so glad to hear that you & yours had all been blessed with returnd health, a great blessing, and also a bountiful harvest.
My health is as good and even better than any one could expect at my age. I have now pass'd my 82d birthday. I have been troubled with eresypelas for some time past but am better of it now. I have had a lameness in my right hand and arm ever since last spring. It has bin quite troublesom and is yet, but it seemes to day as tho it was some better, but it is weak now.
I found your Aunt Fisk quite comefortable. She had been quite sick last winter, but she is not smart as she used to be. She lives alone in a part of her house. She had an Irish family
29th
Lives in the other part of her house to improve the farm, and they are very kind to her. I went to our old home. It looked pleasant but seemed gloomey all around the neighborhood. I should like to live their now if some of my children lived their. Their is another Irishman lives on our place. His wife appeard like quite a nice woman. She had no children. She wisht very much that I would come their to live. She was lonesum. Your Aunt Fisk went with me to the Burying place to see where our dead friend were sleeping. It will be 20 years next January since our beloved Celestia has slept their, and your Father has slept their one year last August. I see they had left a space for me betwixt them, and the time will be short before my frail body will sleep with them, and we know not how short. But if we try to do the will of our heavenly Father and believe on Jesus Christ with our whole hearts and be faithful in prayr and in praise and thankfully acknowledge all his mercies, we can't help _____ hope that he will except us in and through a glorious redeemer. I feel verry sorry that Dwight H is takeing such a coarse.
Sept 30th
It would be a great comefort to me if you lived where I could see you often, but I hope you will live where it will be best for yourselves. I have been here since the middle of May and I don't know how long I shall stay. They are all good to me, and seem to want me to stay, but they have __________ family some of the time. It is a trying time with them now. Seymour's wife has got a cancer on her under lip and they have been to Rome to the great cancer doctor. He put a plaster on it to take it out and it is dreadful painful. They went last saturday. He come back the same night, and she came back monday. She looked as if sh'd had a hard time. She has got to go back last of this week to have it drest. ____ Doctor had about a hundred patients around him, a distresed company. They use a _____ of slipery elm for poultice, has it dryed and ground. She paid 30 cents per pound. I would like to write more but I can't now. I can't do much of anything. I would like to have Clarence and Lucy write to me. My love & regards to all,
Your Mother and friend,
Would like to have Louisa ______ in a few words sometimes. Please write often as convenient.