Tug River            

                   

Dear Sister Ann         

When I received your welcome letter of July 16^th I was certain I would answer it in a few days so you see what a few days are

 

We are all well this country has been a healthy climate for me never was  more healthy in my life only growing old

 

I am now keeping house by myself do just as I please no one to scowl or say it is mine Emmet and me are all right now he sent me notes and money till I am perfectly satisfied only I wish he had a good house keeper in his good house he hired a man and wife after I left they did not stay long some one wrote they did not like the old Gent Cora writes to me generally once a week she gets along fine plenty of schools and plenty of homes offered to her if she will take them I hope it will be so she will come here soon /

 

We have all kinds of garden vegetables here a good place to raise garden I sat out twelve hundred sweet potatoe plants they are a pretty good crop I hope to have enough to eat and sell to buy my bread and sugar for the year then I will be satisfied Black berries were so plenty that I could get all I wanted for three cents per quart could not take half they wanted to pick no peaches this year apples not very good crop for this year country but we have plenty for fall and some winter apples. this season has been wet and cold so no crops are good as common so say the natives butter nuts and black walnuts are plenty so we can get all we want by picking them up come over some of these long evenings and help eat them come christmas and I will kill a turkey I never received Sally Mathews letter if I had her address I would write to her Sally Gardner has not wrote in a long time I have had no answer / from york state in a long time I hear from Susan often heard of Richards death poor man he is gone from the awful temptations of this world the Lord is merciful may he rest in peace He has left one thing behind him enough for the family to live in comfort if they take care of it but I fear Susan will see trouble with the children they have never been controlled. That hoe came through all right it has been the best hoe on Tug Mrs Shannon always borrowed it when I was not useing it it was so much lighter than hers they have such heavy hoes here the women do most of the corn hoeing here hire out by the day and go right on with the men have the same wages and make the best hands John H and Peoder are trading property with Mr Shawna so we will all live by the store and have comfortable buildings they are made of logs but the logs are hewn so they are smooth the little house I live in / I am going to paper it and put down a carpet it is warm and comfortable some takes log houses and side and seal them they are very comfortable When you are as well off as all the country and some better you can feel contented I have no flowers nor plants here I miss them very much when you write put some seeds in a letter Lib will have some thing nice I must now go up to Tinnies will finish this Monday

 

Monday Morni after noon washed this morning am at the store now writing letters between times I like store tending very well dont work half as hard as I did on the farm Sell as many saddles here as ever had a new box this summer selling right along There is no riding done here only on horse back a woman thinks nothing here of getting on a horse and take two or three children on with her and go to meeting go to the stores and carry all kinds of merchandise on horse back I wish /

 

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you could be here and see them go to meeting all have side saddles and riding skirts and good riders look gay the school house is about 1 mile below the store a quite a company generally meet here then go on to meeting it is always on week days. I generally get a good bit of custom meeting day

 

the preacher is a missionary sent a round and he cant fill all his appointments on the Sabbath

 

Now I want to hear all the news how is Hettie Simpson and all the rest do write soon

 

Tell me how many city boarders you have washed for how much money you have made this summer You don't say anything about Martha has she got another babie Give my love to every body Love to Yourself                       

Hildah

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