[Greenbus?] Clinton Co Dec 16 64

     Dearest Woodruff as I have
a few leisure moments this
after noon and being all
alone except [old dog put?]
I thought it might be agreea
ble to have a little chit
chat with you my dear son
I have not heard from you since
I last wrote but suppose I do 
write two to your one you
will not care I only wish you
was here so that I could talk
with you instead of writing but
as that cannot be I will do
the next best thing the weather
has been very cold for two weeks
past and snow storms every other
day but the snow is not very
deep yet but so that people
think it easier to go on runners
than on wheels Fulkes and the
boys have gone to Minervas to a
[illegible] bee and am staying at
home alone which does not tro
uble me any as I am fond of
solitude Mary is staying with
Minerva this winter but she has
been a cripple with her hands
you know she is troubled with
the [scraffula?] and it came out
on her hands so that she has
very sore hands for four or five
weeks but they seem to be getting
better she has not been able to
write any so you must excuse
her for not writing she will have
to write all the time when her
hands get well I told you that
Minerva was going to move [illegible]
she has an so we have moved in 
to the house where she lived and
I think we can add on to it and
make us a good nice house this

[Written sideways on left side of Scan 2]

Write as often as you can and be assured of our prayers for
you safety I hope I Shall more time again soon

[End]

[is sixteen?] by 18. and we think of
putting up a leantoo ten feet wide
on the north side and let it [illegible]
no past the east and far enough
to have a kitchen door come out
by the corner of this and then
put another addition on the
west end for a bedroom for Mary
[partition?]
^and another bedroom of the end
of the kitchen so you see we will
have two bedrooms and afront
room with kitchen
We are not keeping much stock
this winer we keep only two cows
and your Topsy Mr Brewer is keeping
your steer for this winter on ac
count of the scarceness of fodder
your Father could not get help
to cut hay last summer and
he was not able to cut much
alone an so we did not get

[Written upside down on top of Scan 3]

I have writen my sheet full but
I could write more if I had time
but I must say good bye from your
own dear loving Mother N L M.

[Written sideways on top left Scan 3]

[illegible] [G?]

[End]

enough to keep a great many catt
le we have got [19?] sheep [and?] [crossed out word]
we give one pound of wool
[crossed out] [and] a head and one quarter of
the [lambs?] sheep seem to be the
order of the day about here
our neighbours have all got
sheep and I could not get one
pound of wool last summer
for stocking yarn it sold for
80 cents and one dollar per pound
and some of our neighbours sold
every pound they had not even [saved?]
any even their own stocking
yarn but I will not do so
if my life and health is
spared I mean to make cloth
and stockings too
And now Woodrusff I do not know
as I can tell you all the particu
lars about money matters and
I do not know as your father can
tell you how much he had had
but he thinks we can [but?]
one thing I can tell you there
has been very little paid on
this land and it troubles me

[Written sideways on left side of Scan 4]

[Some?] I tell you but may be things will come out all right some
time I think it is propper and right that you should know how
      things stand and I think you have right to do as you please

[End]

[Written on top of Scan 4]

with your money I will try and get Pa to write
soon but he is so tired nights that he cannot

[End]