Fremont    May 31st .63

Dear Brother & Sister
			    Your long looked
for letter was duly received and today I have
                             that
set apart to answer ^ as well as one received about
						        s
the same time from Hart & [Arad?]  I must alway^
write when Im in the mood or Im apt to neglect
                            you      
it  Im so glad that ^ Celestine have concluded to
fill Charles place because he made me wait so
long. Really it is no great task to write a letter
when one sets about it altho I find it harder
than when I was younger. I got a letter from
Edwin very soon after I received yours but I
had sent one to the office a day or two before
as you recommended and two weeks since I
              an
received ^ answer to that six pages of paper as
large as this  I find his letters highly interesting
and look forward to a correspondence with him
with much pleasure not unmixed with anxiety
for I call to mind how nearly allied with danger
is his present situation  By his letters I should 
judge that he is a youth of much promise a
                                                                            of
youngman that his friends might well be proud ^
May the Good Father keep him in the hollow of
his hand carry him through this wicked war
and return him in safety to the friends that
have given him for weal or woe to his country

I often think of you Celestine and Betsey too and
try to realise something of your feelings both of
you have boys in the army yet with all my trying
I know well how impossible it is for me to imagine
what you feel but you will hope for the best
I know  I am so glad that [Hart?] and Betsey
has made that visit at last almost as glad
as if I it had been made to myself for I always
felt as if it was their duty as well as pleasure
Lauren too  Now he can visit as well as not I think
he might come and see us  I suppose you know
that Caroline Cobb that was has come home with
4 or 5 children  for some body to support and [Arad?]
writes me often this fashion  “You know Aunt J.
who wil have it to do”  Her husband is in the
army   It is too bad  Hart & Betsey both have worked
all their lives like a couple of galley slaves
and I did hope that now in the evening of 
life they might rest even in this world from their
hard toil but I fear their work is again beginning
             Now I will tell you about the visit we had
a short time since from Craigs sister and family
They have moved to Spring Valley Fillmore county
adjoining this county and 35 miles distant
Well we were looking for them all this month of
April but they did not get along until the
last of the month and then only staid one day
and night  His work was not done and they
are coming back by and by to finish out the 
visit

(Ill try another pen and see if it wont go bettter)

I expect that Craig will take Julia over there
soon
^ to go to school this summer  They live near a
little village and want her to attend school
and see to their little girl who is small yet to go alone
I dont know how to get along alone but I want her
in school so bad that I shall try it a while
at least as the school here is so far off    Georges folks
are well or were when Mrs Lewis left Stockton  Ellen
promised to write to [Patty?] so perhaps I shall sometimes
hear about them that She thinks a great deal
of Lucy and Ellen tho she says that Ellen has
her fathers indolent disposition. In all other respects
she is a smart agreeable woman. She has lost
all her children 3 I believe. George played checkers
all winter she says. Now he and Lucy is out at
work. He works at his trade she works in a
dairy and when not at work makes his home
where she is. It seems like a queer way to live
but Patty says it is the best thing that Lucy can do
We get letters from Nelsons daughter Elisa quite
often Her folks seem to be comfortable I should
think by her writing tho her fathers health was
poor then He had a cough that troubled him
Her mother is always ailing I believe she is
lame herself but appears to make the best of
everything Her letters remind me of Melindas
By the way Helen often wonders why she does not write
sometimes. I tell her that perhaps her eyes wont permit
                                                                       her writing

[Written sideways on the left side of Scan 3]

Direct to Enterprise Winona Co in future we have a new
                                                                         post office


I see by the covenant that there is Universalists
meetings at Buchanan occasionaly so when you
write again tell me if you go I know you do
[illegibe in original] know it I mean. I hope you take that
paper by this time    It is all that reminds me that
we are not out of the world  There is no meetings
near here except Scotch Presbyterians of the straighter
sort in their tenets  Theirs are as orthodox in their
views as John Knox their venerated founder
you know that a universalist cannot extract
much comfort from such preaching so I dont
trouble them    Craig will sell if he gets a good
chance and go into some other part of the state
not far however as he likes the climate and
soil of Minnesota too well to leave it   Charles
if you have had the ague every year since
living in Michigan I dont wonder that your
health is so poor  It is the greater wonder that
you are alive you had better emigrate to our
country They dont have the ague here long after
                                              some
they get here  There has been ^ sickness among children
here the last and present year. Scarlet fever principally
My health is about as usual always better in warm
weather than cold    There Ive about filled this
sheet and shall have to leave off scribbling for want
of room I fear I shall have to put off the letter to Hart
today for my shoulders ache badly and my side too
That is always the way when I set down to write
Do tell Melinda to let us hear from her Helens
post office address is North Winona County Minn
Now Celestine since you have commenced writing
I shall expect to hear from you a little oftener
then formerly So keep your promnise. good I must excuse
Charles I suppose as I have a man that thinks he cant write
Ive scarcely room to say goodbye  Jeannette

[Written sideways on the left of Scan 4]

My love to Nelson and Melinda and [illegible in original] Come up and see us sometime