Northumberland June 26 1864

 

            Dear Frank

                                    I am once again with you and hope to enjoy a few hours in silent converse with the pen This is sabath warm and quiet indeed most to much so I think the last three days were the warmest I ever experienced and it would be hard for me to tell how often I have caught my self wondering for the last few days how you can stand the heat where you are. This morn I attended Presbetyreian church as there was none at ours on account of quarterly conference meeting at selins grove The methodist Minister of course had to attend as he preaches once per day at that station/

 

He is a rather Aged man but as a general thing is beloved by the congregation he is so good and old fashioned and a good Union Man but no political man there has been a great disturbance in our church about political affairs but I do not think he will trouble them much on that score owr our church is not progressing very rappidly The members seem to be lukewarm and I feel my self o to be one of the worst among them all some times I have just to pause and wonder in astonishment at my self at times I try to rally up but Oh Frank there is not the strenghth strength and zeal I wish to have and many duties wich were once a true and heartfelt joy/have become irksome I find my mind is to much taken up with the vanities of the present age Dear Frank when you pray pray for me that I may never return to the vain and beggarly elements of the world I say but I want to feel a more deep and earnest spirit of prayer I know my duty but feel my self a delinquent in performeing it but I will bid adieu to this as you do not seem to want me to write desponding letters Frank I did not write the other with the intention of makeing you unhappy and I know it was not wr right for me to do so but I felt worried and badly and I was about as near being laid up as any one need be but am nearly well I I caught cold from running barefoot and staying out wet in a heavy rr rain untill I was thoroughly drenched/but I paid dearly for it with feverish afternoons and restless nights and I was compelled to take some fine doses such as cherry pectoid and Cod liver ol oil and some more of such good things I am nearly well and now I entend to keep well if good care of my self is the main object Dear Frank I feel glad you have still good health and a light heart blest with these the time will will quickly pass away a little more than two Months and your time will be served who would think three yre years could fly so swiftly but how many changes have taken place in that short period how many have gone to their long home I have had two cousins lately killed again my cousin Arthur Gray in the petersburg fight and my cousin John Ashenfelter died from wound/at US Hospital Nashville Tenna belonged to Comp F 124 Ind Regt They were both so young last Jan one year ago My Cousin George Ashenfelter died at the same place from wounds received at Murfreesboro Aunt Mary went to see her onely boy but he had died a few hours before she reached the hospital I receive letters very often from My uncle Johns famuly family urgeing me to come out to Ohio to pay a visit mother some times says she has a great mind to leave me go It would be a great under takeing fr for one to go alone dont you think so and the summer is far spent so that I have no particular desire to go as much as I would like to see my relatives But I expect to go to harrisburg this summer to stay about one week and/from there over to york Co to spen a few days with my Auntie I do not think there will be any kind of a picnic or celebrations of of any kind There was one started but the ones who tried it could not agree so it fell through

 

I think I neglected telling in my last of Maggies health being so bad she was compelled to go back to Wilkesbarre and put her self under medical treatment she looked so very bad last winter when maggie got so much better I so glad for I thought now she was going to get well her physician says her can onely give her temporary relief but her disease is so deeply seated that cannot be entirely obliterated Maggies married life is not as happy as it should be John is queer and exacting he de doesent leave her go out of the house unless/he goes along sometimes Maggie will slip of down to our house or Aunte Aunt C. but onely to stay a minute any and right back home for fear he will come while she is away. Dan is still boating there is nothing sut suits him half so well as draging along the canal The last time he was at home he wanted to know what had become of Frank Miller Dan is geting to be a better boy than he used to be still he is careless and reckless yet but still I am not going to dispair by the time he is grown a man I believe he will be different he gives me a part of every Months wages to lay away for him I have a mind to take bank stick stock to the amount of one hundred there is to be a M New Bank started in it is entended to be a government loan I have just forgoten the Amount/

 

What do you think of it do you think it would advisable for me to do so Well Frank I think this is geting to be a rather protracted one of not much account after all it will soon be church time or rather time for prayer meeting and I wish to go I cannot but wish you were here to go along but I supose you have your meetings where you are and I supose while I am writing to you you are likewise engaged for my sake it is a pleasant thought and I hope may be soon realised in the shape of what you call a letter From dear Frank awnswer soon Miss Sallie Martin send her Compliments and best wishes she told me several times before if I wrote I should do so but as my memory is not very good I have allways forgoten untill this time I seen Mrs Marshall yesterday she is quite well

 

In love Mother wishes to be rememberd to you I will now close with much love

            for F C M                    Yours truly and devotedly Agnes

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