Greenbush Janar    1 1865

Dear Brother
Once more I take up
my pen to write to you I
am well at present and
hope this will find you the
Same it is some time since
I have heard from you but
I hope to Soon we have been
having Some very good Sleighing
but it is all gone now
but  it is very good wagoning
So we have nothing to complain
of I am going to [Detroit?] now
we have a good school Teacher
it is a young Lady her name
is Miss Carrie [Kecker?] She is 
[two words illegible] of [all Mrs Avery?]
we went home and Spent
New Years we had a good
visit [crossed out] [but we must have]

but there was one thing
lacking there was two absent
ones I tell you Brother
Dear it would have been a happy
New year indeed if those
Dear ones had been there but
we must make the best of
it as it is the young folks
      around here
had a leap year ride New
years [eve?] I did think some
of going but changed my
mind and I am not sorry
now as they had quite a
time they went to the
Clinton House   had quite
a merry time of it. Called
for Cider but was told that
they had not got it but
after a little time a young
man offered his services
to procure some he brougt it
in told them to drink hearty
and be merry some drank

hearty and som did not
but I guess they were all
merry but it was not long
before they all began to
feel the effects of it and
I suppose from all [illegible]
that a sicker Crowd was
Seldom Seen by the time
they got on their way home
it has Since been learned
that the young man went
to the [illegible] got a pitcher
of [illegible] and from there to
a drug store and got aheavy
dose of Tartar Emetic and
added to it it was a good
joke on the load but rather
hard one of the girls have
been very sick [two words illegible]
they were agoing to arrest
the young man but he left
town I was So glad I did 
not go for [illegible] is in by

[ward?] now now I do not
know as you will thank me
for writing So much foolish
ness but I thought you
would like to hear what
the folks around home were
doing  Now Brother Dear
do not forget that you have
a Sister Mary please
write very Soon and I
will promise to answer
[illegible] Minerva send love
to you and she says she
would like to have you write
to her from your ever
loveing and affectionate
Sister Mary A Mattoon