[Cambria?] Dec 29th 1862
		     very Dear Friends I Know
       you are very much Surprised that I
have neglected to answer you kind Epistle
So long, But you are not more So
than I am ashamed of my conduct
but if you will forgive me this time
I will try to do better in future
I know I owe you an apology longer th[an?]
I have time or paper to write, but if I
ever See you I will make it all right
we are all enjoying good health except
Father & his is as good as could reasonably
be expected he is just able to go from
one room to the other his room but we
keep fire in that all the time, & heis
as comfortable as can be; he reads near
-ly all the time, & writes a great many
letters. but talks but very little. we have
had no Snow here yet this winter & but
little cold weather the frost is all out of 
the ground now but rather muddy..
produce bears a very good price here & 
money. plenty notwithstanding the war
I have very little news now So it will not  

take me long to tell it unless I Spin it
out as I commonly do when I write to
you. I have had very good luck Since
I was there at your house. I Say good luck
because we have had no Sickness &
had good crops, & fair prices I have made
about 300 bbls cider this fall at 4/- for Bbl
I have just got through. I have been
[hurried?] & drove all the time ever Since
last Spring as Soon as apples were fit
to pick I commenced buying & kept
it up untill Peaches were ripe &
then had to go at them, and O! how
I do wish you had all been here
to enjoy them with me, or us. It was
worth a journey across the atlantic to
See them growing in the orchard I
mean my orchard. & then to go into
it & gather a basket of Rich mellow
melting juicy luscious Peaches as large
as good Sized apples and Set down &
eat them & It would have been wo
-rth a good deal more. well we had
1200 baskets. I drew them all to 

Lewiston & Sent them to Toronto Canada
I Sold on a contract at 3/- [per?] basket
I was not Sorry when I got through we
commenced picking about the 1st Sept
& got through about the middle of Oct
So you See I had a pretty good Siege of
it. I can give you no description of
the orchard or of the fruit when in
full bearing. it must be seen to be
appreciated although every one that
Saw it Said it beat all they ever [illegible]
Saw but enough of this. Ellen is
not married yet & lives with us Still
but Mr Griswold is & if you have
not heard who to. just Stop right
here & guess ____ well after guessing 30 
times. Barbery [Misler?]. The [illegible] you,l
Say I know been married about 6 week
Mrs [G.?] died June last but that is waiting
a good while. Mr Molyneux folks
are about the Same as ever. Sarah,s
man McRay works the farm, but it
is Said he is going onto his own place
in the Spring he has bought the farm

John Sickets lived on when he was
here next to Homer Taylor Piny
Brown lives on her place yet & dont
get married but is getting along well
& is just about as young and as no
-isy as ever. [illegible] Molyneux & Susan
get along but Some Say not very
pleasant. Mary makes them a great
deal of trouble & She is. ugly & will
not mind Susan or do anything
She tells her & will not Speak to her
if She can help it. Cyrus Beach has
been building his house over this Sum
-mer & putting on an addition and
cellar under the whole cost about
$1000, I have Sold him 19 acres
off the west Side of this farm the
whole length which takes it up to
orchard for $40. per acre. I thought
I could not pay for it the whole in
time. thought it advisable to Sell
but I have enough now, for me to
work. I have 25 head cattle 3 Horses &
10 hogs that I am wintering & that keeps 
me pretty busy I cut all their feed with 
horse power,

[Penciled in on top of Scan 5]

[1862. Dec. 29]

[End]

Emeline Says tell Agnes they are going
to have a Christmas Tree New Years Eve
at the church & they all Expect to a
present. She went to sunday school
today for the first She goes today
School & Charles too. Em. wants to know
if Agnes is married yet. Tell Ebby She
wishes you was here this winter to go to
School with her. Tell Charles they have
had first rate Skating here a Short
time, and She Sends her love to all.
Aunt Charlotte & Uncle Allen but She 
does not remember of ever seeing him
but hopes She Shall See him before long
    Dear Agnes, Your Uncle GW; has not
forgotten you by any means. he freely
forgives you for the Slight remissness in
not giveing me an introduction to your
School teacher last winter I presume you
have worried enough to atone for it a
thousand times, I Know I have been very
negligent in not writing oftner. but I
was really in hopes Something would

[Written sideways in red ink on the top left of Scan 6]

1862

[End]

turn up. So that I Should Surprise you
all with a visit again this winter
as long as the one last, but I have
given that up now & can only Sur-
-prise you with a letter if this reaches
you. But I really hope you all 
will make us a visit next Sum-
-mer. & in peach time if there is any
So we can Surprise Each other most
agreeably. by all I. mean Allen & 
Charlotte and Agnes & Charles & [Eddy?]
and if possible I hope you will do
So, you may believe this is the real
feelings of my heart. and I can assure
you thare has not a day past & 
hardly an hour but I have thought
of you Since I left your house last
winter. I hope to See you all before
many years at least. now I must
close for I have got almost out
of paper and paper you know
is Scarce & on the rise. I have hardly
room to write my name but
you can guess [who it?] comes from
			GW;