Fremont. July 30th /65.
My Dear Cousin.
	                I received your
letter last week and improve
the first chance to write a reply.
It is Sunday and I am writing
in a perfect hubbub. William
and another man are talking
and their tongues run like a
windmill. Father and Mother [Holtz?]
have gone to meeting but I cant
swallow their stuff no how so I
wont go very often. I suppose my
mother-in-law thinks I am very
wicked but I cant help it. There
now! A couple more fellers have
come and I shall have a fine time
trying to talk to you. I wish a
man could talk about something
else besides horses. A sewing
society is no circumstance to a
    horse fab.

Now Nelson I dont want you to
think that a man is of no sort
of consequence in my eyes for it
is not so. I had to say something
you know. I think I have a pretty
good man and I am acquainted
with a good many fine gentlemen.
You have beat us on harvesting
but we have got the start on haying.
There is some hay to cut after
harvest but it is wild grass and
wants more time to grow than
tame. The farmers all have their
tame hay cut and stacked. The
Harvest will not commence for
two weeks yet. It is so cold &
so much rain that it will be
later than usual. I shall be glad
when it is over with.
			My brother
has got home from the army and
I am so glad. He came a week
ago last night. He is out home

now _ will be back wednesday 
to work for William ‘till after
harvest. The Minnesota boys are
coming home fast now. We have
just heard that Wms brother has
got to Illinois and been mustered
out. If so he will soon be up
here. I have not heard from
Edwin in a long time – hope to
hear soon. I received a letter
from cousin Eliza a few days
ago. They were all well. Nelson
I wish I could come and help
you pick and eat apples a while
It is something I never had enough
of yet. We have plenty of wild
fruit such as gooseberries, cherries,
plums, and crabapples but no
tame fruit to speak of. I hope we
shall have after a while.
			You think
you have written a very nonsensi
cal letter and maybe you have

but if you will only write often
I dont care what you write. They
cannot be worse than my own letters
for I am some wild myself and
dont think of anything but non
sense to write. I wish I could write
a good sensible letter once but I
cant and “thats whats the matter”
I am glad you enjoyed the fourth
so well. I'll warrant that evening
was the best part of it. When I go
to Winona I am going to get my
Picter taken for you and if you dont
say I am some I shall be mad.
     If you dont like the shadow come
and see the substance and see
if you wont like her. Well William
and the children are teasing for
something to eat and I begin to
feel hungry too so I will bring
this nonsense to a close. Dont let
anybody see this horrible attempt.
If you d I will read your letters to
every body maybe. Write soon
		cousin Helen.