Lyons Jan 21 1864

 

Dear Mother and Sister

well I have a little while to right and so here goes we are all well I received your letter dated the 27^th the next tuesday after newyears so it was to late to come to take dinner with you but think if it was as cold there as here you had to eat it alone the thermometer stood from 30 to 36 below zero the snow is piled from 6 to 7 feet high in places out on the prairie folks lost lots of chickens and turkeys we only lost 3 and two kittens we have not herd from Lockport for some time so cannot tell any news from there. Wm is halling wood and hay he goes to Lyons one day with wood and to town the next with / hay he gets 2½ dollars for the wood and 3 for hay a time he has bought him a pair of bobs and gives 35 dollars him and Uncle Hulse is loading up now George Wells is boarding here and working at the ice hous his wife is at hir folkses she has got an other boy it is a week old to night my health is a good deal better than it was when I rote last I have got the rheumatism in my left hip joint so I cannot get round verry well out doors it does not trouble me mutch in the hous. you wanted to know about Ben Stevenson he is better than he was when you were here. Kate Wells and one of her cousens came to Chicago last week from Ky and were married

 

it is so dark I cannot see the lines at all and I am in a great hurry so good by M E Weeks 

 

March 7^th and this is not gone yet we are all well or as well as could be expected I am not able to do my work yet Dora is going to stay this week she is not good help but is the best we could do good help is out of the question Wm took care of me and the baby the neighbours were verry good to come in I changed the babys squairs is the most I had to do for the first week Wm would get up 3 and 4 times a night to feed the baby for the first three days till my milk come. I wish you could see hir folks says she looks to be 3 months old 

 

now as to Kate wells she maried hir own cousin his name is Polk he is about 33 years old Mother Lizer says he has the name of being a smart man at home I do not like him verry well he has been in the government employ for a long time he was a soldier one year he ownes a farm in Missourie and has gone out there and Kate has gone home to stay till after harvest and then if the rebels do not chace him off they will go to Mo to live. as to Wesley I expect he has reenlisted he rote to his mother that he was going to the regt is expected in Chicago soon. we expect to stay on this place another year. one of our horses has got a soar on hir breast and will not be fit to work all summer so we shall have to by another I have not seen Mother Lizer since last Oct Wm went down last week to see Peter he is getting better Johney fell off the fence and broke one of his ribs near the backbone Mother intended to come up and stay a week but Kate was there and sick the same time I was with a pain in hir side and back and then Peter got sick and so she could not come she is coming up as soon as she can the baby is quite fretfull to day I have riten this with her on my lap this is all the paper I have got so good by

my love to all  MEW

 

[top front margin of second sheet upside down]

we rote you a letter last month did you get it you we got yours this afternoon

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