Elisabeth Conklin August 1, 1860

Fortwayne

Aug 1 1860

                    Dear sister
I received the long looked for letter from you about a week ago and was very much gratified with the knews it contained as to regards your health and hapiness. . I wantd to write to you and tell you I would come rite away for I know of nothing that would do me so much good as a ramble in the woods and to gather blackberries would be better than every thing for I should fancy I was realy a little girl again, as I have never had that privalige since we were little children, but when I took the second thought I see myself a married woman with two children one in my arms and one to hang to my dress and I know nothing about traveling, and so what can I do must I stay at home always William said I might go but said he could not accompinee me, so what am I to do I am nearly Crazy to get out of town and be in the country for a little time and then it would be so nice to be in a peach country again they would be so good and then I could dry myself some to eat next winter how I wish I could help you to dry blackberries I realy dont know what will become of me if I dont get off somewhere before long for I am so tired of the city that I dont know what on earth to do if I had no children I would be there with you just as soon as the cars would take me there but as it is I realy dont know what to say or do and I am afraid to that you would not meet me a Clay City and then I would not know what to do I want you to write again and tell me when the fruit will be ripe and just when you think would be the best time for me to come to the very day then if I think I can possably get there with my children I will come but I will write first and let you know but if I do start to come and you dont meet me I will never forgive you

You congratulated me on my visit with N and the rest of the old friends and wished you could have been with me, well I dare say your visit was as pleasant as was mine for I have not been out of Fortwayne since you left here I promised Nelly I would come and thought to have done so but it seems as though I could never get away from home with my children since I have two I find it worse than when I had only one, but I am bound and determined to see either you or Nelly this Fall if I live and have my health.
I received a letter from Nelly a few days ago she says she is well and that she likes her stepmother as well as she can, she has never been to see her but once, that Filly could not have time to visit with her for Father kept him in the field and that he was rather ragged and that he had not had a fine shirt since mother died, but she thought his step mother was good to him she blames Father for his not having better clothes Fathers wife has four children she has two little girls with her and Nelly says they step around quite spry, Jason is liveing on the Boryer place I believe Father gives him what he can raise and finds him a team.   Our school is out and I says she would like so well to go and see Hatty and I know it would do her so much good to have a good play in the country where she could run wild for a time for she is constantly teasing me to let her run in the street and play

[in margin] give my love to the children except the same and remember me to yours

but that I cannot do for there is all kinds of trash here and I have to keep her in our own yard. she wants me to buy her something to take to Hatty and I said I would buy her a fan just like her own Ida thinks that will be very nice. I have just the sweetest little baby willy that ever you saw he is so white and has such sweet blue eyes and such rosy lips that I almost idolize him. but I must not do that for he may be torn from my embrace as was your dear little Charly and then how could I stand that. it terrifies me to think of it. and I have often thought that there was a family resemblance between them. Willy has been teething and he is thin in flesh and not very well but I think he is most dredful cunning he is the dear picture of his papa and takes to him very much William is very fond of him and is always tending him when he has any spare time

[in margin] from your affectionate Sister  Elisabeth Conklin

well in all you have written you seem to keep dreadful still on the war question and I should like to know what you think our country and government is a comeing to if things go on in this way they say it is makeing hard times for the farmers and it is a going to make hard times for us if sugar and tea and coffee are taxed, and our husbands have to go to the field of battle and be shot which I begin to fear will be the case before the war is terminated. but William has not had the fever much but he says if he had no family he would go Orelia's Husband has gone and he has four Brothers in the army, Nelly says that Isaac has been in a dredful panic to go that dave Bender and a number others have gone from there. she complains of hard times. says they cant sell anything for the money and cant get anything done without the cash   they have built them a barn this winter/summer it is done but the dores

[in margin] I want you to write directly back and I will try and do the same by you

© elf junction, ink.