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December 26^th/64

           

Dear Friend Mary

I am almost ashamed for not writing to you before, but I hope that you will please excuse me this time. I will quit apologizing and write something more interesting for it sounds too much like Jot Hammond. Well he is married at last to a lady by the name of Miss Ayers. and Harriet is also married to Thomas Williams why could'ent that of been done before now and saved all that was said about her. I heard that he came back and acknowlegde that he had done wrong well they / were married in the morning and he started away (this was sunday) and monday he found out that they were not married right and they were married again monday evening the Justice of the Peace did not live in the county that she lived and so the knot had to be tied over again. I go to school we have a very nice school our teacher's name is John Deming we have upwards of thirty one or two scholars.

 

            John's folks have done well they have a boy they call it Don it is real fat fellow they feel very proud over it. they are staying here to Mary's every since Josephinie was taken sick. well they came down the day before that she was sick she has got real smart now. I do not know whether they intend staying here this winter or not whether they are going home again.

 

            Mary my brother (Ock) has returned to our house again it seems like old times again we have a sing / most every evening. I dont think he has changed much he is the same Oscar yet I dont see how we can keep house without him he seems just like one of our family.

 

            Mary Tappen has a daughter I do not know how old it is but I presume that it is very beautiful child you know that its father and mother are very handsome. There has been a good deal of sickness over in Jones Co Mary and the youngest girl and also Mrs Gerard has been sick for over a month when Mary was getting so she could get around the house Libb was taken sick and died in about two weeks after she was taken sick it was the typhoid fever. Bessie has not got well yet every once in awhile she is real sick she is very poor I think she is so small of her age she walks around by chairs their boy looks like John it has got black hair and black eyes.

 

            We went up to Uncle John's next day after you were there to Grandmother / father started home the next tuesday and Edgar and myself stayed until after the fair to Geneva which was the 10^th 11^th 12^th of September they had a splendid fair.

 

            Uncle John started from home to buy a farm in the southern part of Illinois he started the 13^th of Oct he had been gone over two weeks months they had not heard from him since he left home I should'ent wonder if he had been murdered. I will now close by wishing you a happy new year and also good night

           

write soon

                       

from your friend Libbie

To Mary

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