East Highgate June 1^st 1889

 

Dear Sister Ang.         [annotation: Ang: (Adelaide)]

                        I received Ida's letter and was glad to hear from you all. I ought to write to her today, but this must do for both. I should have written last Sunday but have so much to do & feel so miserable the most of the time that I put it off. last sunday was a hot day but it was awful cold from Monday untill today. it is hot again. last week I think was the coldest week I ever knew in May. we had a frost but not enough to do any hurt, I dont think. it nipped the cucumber vines a little. our garden is backward. it has been so cold peas look quite nice & beans / and potatoes, we have a good large garden. apple trees are blossomed very full. we have 7, and the cherry trees are loaded but I am afraid they will blast we have a lot of currants & they look nice. I never saw so many strawberry blossoms as there are here. last Sunday we went up the railroad half a mile & the ground was white both sides of the track and raspberry & black berry bushes are as thick here as they can be & are budded just as full as they can hang. we shall have berries by the bushel if they dont blast. we have been up on the hill to day and got young wintergreens they are nice now. Hiram lives here so you see I keep my family pretty large yet. we have got a cow, and a / pig, had our cow four weeks I think. she is a nice one. gives nearly 16 qts, new, and gains all of the time. I make lots of butter & have all the cream I want. we have got a splendid pig, just like the one we got of you when we lived to Gil[?] it grows fat every day. Albert haves work every day. guess they will have all they can do this summer. Louise Coleman has two children Eliza is 22 or 23 years old I guess, is married to got two children, & her Toms boy is nine years old. they expected to move to Shelburne the 1^st of May but old Mrs Downer lives with them & has been sick ever since last March & was not able to be moved. Hiram was down there last week & he / said she could not live but a few days. she is most 80 years old. but she looks just as she always did this is the prettiest place I have been in, in a long time. if they had a nice village here I think I should never care to leave. the buildings some of them are very good, but the most of them are poor houses. I hope to live nearer to the shop next year, although it is pleasanter here than to the village for it is high, dry ground. I had a letter from Addie last week, she is very well. I heard from Emma Burden two weeks ago, she is well & is to Concord yet, but I dont suppose she will stay much longer I must scratch off a line to Albert to night so shall have to close

 

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I have a nice lot of plants that I brought from N.H. & they look splendid. I have 6 geraniums that are very nice. write soon. Mary [annotated: Mary Isham] /

give my love to Fred & Ida tell Ida I will write to her when I can. I think her dress is pretty but if it is as cold there as it was here last week she would need something else

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