[Poem typed on left side of Scan 1]

[Penciled in]

69

5-/10 /63

[End]

H .A. Atkins
Perry Shiawasee Co
Mich

Shepherd
from
Israel

[Penciled in on top of Scan 3] 

5-14-63

[End]

[Written upside down on top of Scan 3]

you may write on these 
envelopes to me or any one you
pleas good bie I G A

[End]

	May 14th Bowling Green Ky
	My Dear and much loved
Pa and Ma I rieceved your
verry welcome letter of the

[12th?] yesterday and was glad to
hear you was as well as usual
I gain pretty good [illegible] now and
if nothing happens to pull
me down I am in hopes of
good health in the future
I am glad you have heard that
[Murry?] was at home see him
as soon as you can and send
me the sugar which you Spoke of
and the cookies and I will be
verry thakful for them.
Pa I was glad to hear you had
bought you some powder and
shot spend more of your time
in hunting and dont work so
hard as it hurts you. have you



made [Garden?] yet or no
onions are fit for use here at
the present time corn six an 8
inches high potatoes large enough
to hoe the first time peaches
are as large as a robins egg and
it is as warm as the 4 of july
now I will tell what kind
curiosites we have in this State
first there are mansion
caves and grottos and underground
rivers and cricks. now for a
bird which I saw the other
day he was red all over
wings and all and was about
the size of a robin and he
was a beautiful and lovely bird
and we have [opossums?] verry
thick. one of our boys [illegible]
a verry curios turtle two or
three weeks ago it is brown
and yellow and has hinges to


   open its Shell the hinge is
on the under Side of the
Shell and is in two parts
one opens and lets the head
and foer legs out and the other
lets the hind ones out it a land
turtle and some call it the Chinese
turtle look in your naturall
history and see if you can tell the
names of the bird and turtle
George is not verry tough at
present nor I dont think he
ever will be a verry tough
man. Will Warren is as
tough as a buck and does
duty all the time. you
must be sure and spend
a dollar or So of my money
every time I send any 
home for aminition. have
you paid the taxes on the lot
yet or not when you write
George sends his best respects to

you and Ma and says he hopes
you ar all well. how is
Grand ma and uncle Albert.
folks when you write tell me
there is not much news stirring
now and as I wrote to you two
or three days ago I cant think
of any more at present
so good bie from your loving son. Ill.
      Kiss will for me and
tell him to be a good
little boy
union		From I
forever   Good bie
Atkins
Bowling Green
Kentuckey Union