Nelly Crain
April 26, 1863
  
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  Apr 26 1863
Dear Sister
bearing date of apr 12                                                              I received last week your letter bearing date of apr 12 I also receive one from Lizzy of date 14th and was very glad to hear that you and your families are are all wel and in good spirits but you little new the afliction of your sister and brother at the time of your writing. Our poor little Daughter is no more I wrote to you that she guetting worse but could not think of parting with her son we thought she must guet better but she continued fail in spite of all our efforts she suffered very much for the last few weeks she had a very distressed spell on thursday the 9th and we sent for our folks they stayed all night and on saturday she sayd she felt beter and sonday in the forenon she said to me ma maybe this backset is going to make me guet well and we could not help feeling a little encouraged but it was of short duration she had a very restless nigh we could hardly kep her in bed we had to kep her bolstered up with pillows so that she could sit up for she could not lie down she seemed to be in severest pain all over but could not tel where she would beg for more opium but it would not ease her this time she was very patient but screach once in a while like one in the greatest agony and would say mother I do suffer so she con was sensitive to all her pain till about three Oclock her srength seemed to be exausted and she lied still and her breath grew shorter an shorter till about 5 oclock in the afternoon when she ceased to breathe it was a relief to me to see her suffering ceast and I hope she is better of than her Father and mother but her loss to us is very great it seemed impossibly for her pa to part with her said he thougt he could not loose her after she had take so much medicine and was so anxious to guet well tha god would spare her to us only a few days before died she said O I dont see why god wont let me guet well I know you will say that we must consider that our loss is her gain but it seems to me that if she could have live we could have all taken more comfort but I know the pleasures of this life are very few for when ever we lok ahead to a time when we think we can take comfort there is always something turns up to blight all our hapiness or at least it has always been so with us we had been loking farward to a time when she would be large enough help us and she was always so kind an obedient and affectionate we thought if we were sic we should have some one to take care of us but now thos prospects are all blighted and it seems as though she was lost to us forever but if I was a cristian perhaps I should feel different and I wish I was but dont know how to go to work be one. Oh if I only knew that there was such a blessed place beyond the of endless bliss beyond the grave I would try to reach it but it all looks like a dream to me I want you to pray for me that my heart may be changed for I know it is every duty to be a christian but I fear I never can be one without help and I have no oportunity of going to meiting
We buried Jany at the hamilton burying ground there was too other children buried there the same week one of Johns Browns Boys and one of the widows packers boys John Jackmans Elizabeth is not expected to live from one day to another Mr Taylors folks have lost their youngest girl I think her name was Ida but there was another daughter came to take her place but I have no one take the place of mine and I dont know as I deserve any I allways said I want fit to raise a family and dont know but that is the reason she is taken from me Cozen Nancy Cox Came home with me from the funeral and an stayed till day before yesterday and Aunt Polly and uncle david came after her. She is liveing a her fathers her husband is in the army the folks are al well there has been a great revival in that neigborhood last winter uncle Richards and uncle davids girls have all joined the church Timathy Aldrichs have a young son the rest of them I dont know any thing about Uncle Roger and Aunt Lucy came here to see Jane the day she died but she was dead before they got here they are quite feeble but keep around yet Lucys health is not good
Elizabeth said her oldest boy was quite sick the day she wrote said he waas take with a chill and had spasams but thought he would son be better she calls her babe Charly she thinks you have neglected very much in writing Jason and father were here yesterday I read your letter to them Jate keeps very busy trading horses he trades with every man that will trade with him I dont know whether he makes it pay or not they call the baby Isaac and he is a smart litle fellow but Jate will spoil him I have not been ther since last fall we were going down there today but cate had a colt laast nig and it is very weak an we have been fussing with that all day but guess we shall loose it we have not raised any since you moved away she lost one two years ago and last year didnt have any it seems as though every thing worked against us but I dont know as there is any use fretting about it for it dont make it any better I see you always take things patiently and I know that is the best way but I dont see how you can content yourself there alone and work out door all the time I think you could earn your liveing here as easy as you can there and you seem to have it all to do and then if either of us was sick we could take care of each other but I fear I shall never see you again for sickness is about in our land and we know not whose turn will come next there is a new disease about here which takes folks of very sudden they call it the cold plague or spoted fever but there has not been any of it in this neigborhood there has been two cases of it out west of Pleasant a young married man by the name of selvene George was well on friday taken sick at night and died saturday night and a girl by the name of Robinson died about the same way but I am not acquainted with them and dont know the particulars the neigbors are all reasonably wel except Rosan renner and Laury Huff Rosan has the measels Laury has been sick all winter the doctors call it some kind of relimatis or seresifelas it was caused by taking cold but they think she is guetting better now I cant think of any thing more to write so I must bid you good by hoping you will not fail to write again soon
  From your affectionate sister Nelly Crain
    to Celina roe
Jany would have been very pleased with the ring had she have lived to enjoyed it she was very much in hopes that you would come out this summer for she wanted to you all very much I have a little locket of hers that I will send to Alice and a ring to emma as a kepsake and a pichure to haty
          Ps dont send this to the Dr

© elf junction, ink.

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