Maquoketa            May 24^th 1863

 

My very Dear Brother and Famley,

I begin to think very long to have a letter from you I had a letter from Dave last evening he merely said you wer prety well that is not all I want to know. I want to know how Emm and the Boy is getting along and if you have named the child yet you cannot call it Bub, you must not laugh at me when I tell you I have been a very little bit home sick this week. I have not felt as well as I have done some times and Blanche is in school every day from Eight to five and I am alone except when friends call in this is surley a very lonley life for one like me to live Blanche and I have stayd alone every night since Mr and Mrs Dice left / me I thot I could never do it but I found I had to do it so I went about it like a hero. I wont tell you how heroic I was. I have all my Garden made and my yard trimd up so that it looks like home Oh how beautiful every thing looks and I have the handsomest trees and flowers in my yard. I have just wished Bunney could onley come and see our flowers she would make some fuss over them and my dear little Ada. well I wish the dear children all could come and see how beautiful it is here but to me thair is something melencoley in every srub and flower all tho I admire and love them so. the hands that helpt me place them thair is no more; it seems to me he must come and help me admire and enjoy them. Now, Dear Brother my home is / so beautiful to behold and I am all serrounded with kind friends and comferts I seem to want for nothing I can go and come as I wish and my time is all mine to dispose of as my inclenation may sugest but ask your Dear Wife what would all this be to hur if you was no more with hur. Oh this is a lonley life but you can poorley relise it onley the Husband or Wife that has been left in this world of grief and pain can ralize it as it is but Dear ones forgive me I did not mean to get on this strain when I comenced but Oh how fresh all the past comes up before me I see my own Dear one in evry place how oft he has sit by my side at the same table I now sit at alone not a sole to speak to I see him in evry tree and flower and evry Book I take / thare is a histry connected with it of the past, but still these things are all dear to me and his memry is all sacred and dear. that is deap down in my heart never to be removed, but now he is a Treasure in heaven to draw my hart thair Oh that I may be enabeld to live so that I can one day be joind to him thair whare parting and Death will never come. pray for me loved ones. Blanche is well and seems happy and is a good kind girl to me. home is the best place for hur. I found my House in good order and a splended Dinner wating on my own tabel for us and meney of my kind friends ready to receve me with open arms Oh how kind evrey body is to me I had previsions enough caried in to last me till now. I found evrey thing safe and in good condetion except my Seller wall it is in a bad state I will have to have it fixt it will cost me thirty dollers this is bad but I can not help it now. I had to pay onley one dollar and a quarter to get my garden spaded

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