February the 20.. 1861

At School
	          Dear Edd
	       I to day sit
down to write you & it is as pleasent
a day as ever was & it is your birth
day. How I wish that I was there to
give you a good whiping. We talked
of going to uncle Alberts to have a
dance & to celebrate your birth day &
[illegible]. But tomorow night if nothing
hapens we are all a going & wish you was here to go
	Well you wanted me to write about

uncle A he has not sold his place but
has let it for 5 years to Mr. Harrison
Caldwell brother to Jim Caldwell. Jim
C__ has taken Mr Vances farm for
3 years & has sold his farm to Mr
Newton.
	Well there is not much 
news to write so I will write all I
can think of & jest as fast as I can
think The last week & this week so
far we have been to the hall to the
		               o
lectures ther were on Ge^logy & last night
& night before it was on [Phronology?] &
to night it is on Love courtship &[crossed out] [marriagage]
mariage this is a going to be something
of considerable fun, we are all a going
	I should think you would
be ashamed to get in the guard house & 
then get out & then have someone put

you back & I shouldent think there
would be much fun in having to
do duty to pay for it I should not
call that fun.
	We had a letter from Sam
last monday he was well when he wrote
but it was a good while a coming
he is at Hattaras Inlet North Carolina
& James we have not heard from him
in most four weeks. & Charleses wife
I wrote her last & never received any
answer but I will write to her & 
Henry Mary W & Laura [I had] a letter
			                              his
from him & received [crossed out] [their] ^ likeness
I guess you will see some pretty broad
mistakes here & bad spelling but
excuse them if you please.
	Well about the young folk a
little I will comence at the oldest

   [Gust?] has got a new set of chairs &
bedstead I begin to think that there
is something up you may guess what
& Permelia has left school well if that
comes of we will all be glad. & Bill rides
out with the school teacher & wont
say which but I guess you know Birdsie
		[teacher?]
shines around the other ^ [they?] say that
Delos & Diantha R burn up all of Harrison
Caldwells novel he had got [illegible] for Sunday
this was last Saturday night it makes
old [loo?] blush I tell you! Well I guess I
have writen about all of the folks that amount
to much I will say that Albert [B. school?]
has not got but three or four days more to keep
   Well about the likenesses. I should think it
was enough to make anyone blush to sleep
with the boys you will learn them bad
capers. I liked to forgot to tell you that
the folks are well well I cant write any
more for I must get my lesson
     write soon & give my love to all the
boys & a share for Edd
		from your Sister D D