Much Love

to all

let me hear

from you soon

Jas. H. Pollard

Gasport Dec 8^th /78

H.

 

Dear Sister

                        I was down to Sister Maries on Tuesday last and stoped there two or three days. During my stay there she read me your letter which remembered me, & it brought to mind that I must write to you Mary^s people are all well & so are we, or mine. There are no great changes with us only what are made by the finger of time, we all look older which change you will find every where you go. You write in Maries letter that plants & babies are your greatest pleasure, and I would say that mine lies in art mostly in copying nature and it / is my greatest regret that I am not a skillful artist, instead of an ordinary house builder My odd moments at the present age of 46 years is spent in drawing I run mostly to charcoal drawing as I never have taken lesons in paint in any shape but I admire paintings & statuary I think if I could be set back 15 or 20 years and knew I could live them over I would supprise you I wanted to attend the Centenial but I could not make myself belief I could afford it so I must wait until the next but I am satisfied now at any time I could see enough if I could travel But if I could spend my whole time now in copying / faces & scenery at home a feast I would have most bountiful When you wrote you made mention of a charcoal drawing of you Father Pratt that is the style of drawing I am doing mostly I am satisfied that if a person will sit properly I can get his or her expression and can put it in shade quite well but not as well as I intend to if I live and my eyes keep good

 

            We you understand are at Gasport we are not rich retired farmers but we let out our farm. we have sold our farming utensils, and are beginning to use economy in the way of living comfortable and happy. we find it an improvement on the old method of plenty of hard work and and little pay. Country coats

 

[verso: picture of his neighborhood in Gasport showing "our house", "Gasport" on a building, "Richy & Bro" on another building, and "Look Out for The Cars" on a trestle]

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