Hill & Dale Feb 20^th/65

 

Dear Son

                        I received your letter last week and thought to answer it sooner but you owe me a letter any how. Horace company has been disbanded he came over last Tuesday, he had spent a week or ten days amongst our Augusta cousins he was very much pleased. We had an other snow storm last Friday the other still on the ground. M^r L was at Charlottesville and has to come through it all In the midst of the snow Jno. Bertleman from the neighborhood came to stay all night. I cant say that I was too glad to see them on such an evening, but had to make the best of it. They were M^r Gilis’s Yesterday morning before I was dressed 7 soldiers came to get breakfast and then horses to be fed. I had to hury and get out to [?] to my breakfast, as there was so many more of us here to the table, but had an other breakfast after they were through. /

 

You do not know anything about such invasions being in town. Mr D will not refuse them and I do not wish him to do it. Did you ever see such a winter I do not recolect such a one since I have been living over here. I could wish for an early Spring if it were not for the fighting that will have to follow the good wether.

 

Sam Dennis got home yesterday he was especially exchanged through the influence of some of their friends. I am so glad that all the soldiers will get home now it will swell our ranks considerably but our papers will talk about it untill the Yanks get hold of it, and they will stop the exchange. Jerry sent me a pair of his drawers to mend but they were so indiferent that I got Mr D to get me some new cloth to make him a couple of new pairs. Sallie is going to send them in a trunk to George by tomorrows boat. I have just mentioned it for fear you would make him some; as he is going to send his old ones / he has left to you as he can get them to you better. If he sends them to me he has to cary them to Rich himself.

 

You are getting stuck up. I shant make my [?] on Sis at all if that is the way you are going to do, but I will have a new set of teeth then where I can beat you. I am going to Charlottesville as soon as the roads get so I can to have the old ones pulled out. now you go to Dr L the same time and have yours taken out. they are so small you will hardly feel it. Do get up your courage for once. I just wish I was over there to drag you to the shop. I wish I had your chance. I wish you would ask Dr L what he charges for a temporary set. Dr hiss asks five hundred but I do not care as I got the teeth. I could come over there but it does not suit for me to leave home unless the Dr will do it for less and that is uncertain. Ma says fit Mary Sue up and send her over here right away and you may keep Millie. /

 

I want you to try pulverized Alum for Millie throat. Scrape it and put some on your finger and dab the tonsels with it and they will swage directly. Mine used to be so large that I had them cauterized but it made them worse. M^rs May told me to use the Alum as I tell you and they do not bother me at all, if they feel the least large I use the Alum and they go away. She used it on a niger girl that had very large tonsels. try it; it can do no harm.

 

Some one said that it was probable that Dan would have to leave his present position on account of some of the laws congress are making. I hope it is not so as he could not well stand the regular army. It is my belief they will not leave many able bodied men at home. Write us the news when you write about any body that will interest Ma Gary still has chills but they are not so severe as they were. Ma Horace Gary join me in love to you all. Write very soon. Ma counts the days.                         Yours Affect AML

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