Dear Husband
I feel somewhat inclined to neglect writing to you today for I have been writing a long letter to sister Nelly but I am so busy I am afraid take time this week unless I do it today I have been trying to get Emma to write for me but she dont get along much though I will send the little she has wrote I received your letter of the 26th last Tuesday + I assure you it was [truly a blessing] as it brought good tidings of my dearest friend I feel very thankful to hear that your health is as good my health is good I have had a very bad cold that sticks to me like a br???? The children are all well John says I must tell you he wants to see you I believe he thinks more of you than all the rest Alice says she had rather live without you then all her friends Emily says she is going to work out some here this summer there will be plenty for her to do at home if she wants to stay but she says she wants to go + come when she pleases without asking any one if she wants to be a good girl + stay at home I shall be glad of her company but if she chooses to stay some other place I can do as well without her every time she cant have her own way to do as she please she says she is going to leave I tell you this is not very pleasant for me to bear after all the trouble I have had + I cant help telling her to go if she wants to I know very well she will never find a better home than she has got here I work very hard and do the best I can for all the children + if they dont do well I shall state it is not my fault for I have always tried to live in the discharge of my duty I am sorry to trouble you about anything of this kind but I dont feel able to bear it all alone - -
I saw Mr Straight yesterday. he told me your forty dollar horse died soon after you got him I am surprised you did not tell me about it I suppose you must be much in debt I told Price I expected to pay him all the rent due the next time you drawed pay but now I know I cant do it
I am obliged to save some for our own use if I am so lucky as to get any I have been in hopes to get a saddle the old one I have been using is all to pieces but I hardly think I shall be able to get one this summer I will be obliged to have a wheel if I try to manufacture my cotton + I want a little wheel for my flax I dont need them yet but things are constantly on the rise last fall I could have got a pair of cotton cards for 75 cts + now they are worth 2.25 I shall get me a pair if I have money enough it costs a considerable to get the tools to work with but when once I get started it will save a great deal in buying cloth at the present prices calico is 30 + 35 cts + on the or me either dont last any time working out door factory is 40 cts my sheets + pillowcases are about done I shall never be able to buy new ones but if I have luck raising cotton + flax + have my health I can manufacture them myself Mr Straight asked me if I had the necessary impliments for farming I told him I had no big plough or gears he said he was oweing you some + he would bring me a pair of old gears + a plough I could use the first of this week I can let John go a few days + get a horse in return to break up my ground I dont know whether I will it myself or not I have been mowing the south end of the pasture to fence the north end + make a pasture for the horse I have got the rails half hauled - Tuesday 4th I will write a few more lines before mailing this it rains this morning slow + easy - yesterday I finished ploughing my garden + planted beans cucumbers + squashes + corn. I was offered $65 for my horse the other day but I cant do without him at all We have 8 peach trees in full bloom + I never saw peach trees fulller the two little ones I saved
