Sugar Grove June 18^th '66

 

Dear Jettie

                        Your birthday has again returned awaking all a mothers love and sense of a mothers responibilities for one so dear and so worthy of maternal affection and I trust as you and I as we retrospect the past feel our hearts swell with gratitude and love to our Father in heaven for protecting goodness through the dangers and deaths which have beset the pathway of human life and as we contemplate past and present mercies feel ourselves strong through His strength to face the future and do the work allotted us here joyfully and faithfully laying up a good foundation against the time to come knowing the time is short

 

Saturday June 25^th

                                    I have just found time to resume my writing Fayette Austin and Melissa have gone to assist / the raising of Byron's great barn which will give the premises quite a farmlike appearance. I suppose you know a bout as much of Fayettes plans for the future as I do or perhaps as he does himself he went to Independans Iowa last week engaged some breaking on his land and says he may go there to live Terressa is still east Austin's health is much as in years past. he labours most of the time too hard and looks tired all the time Melissa is an excellent housekeeper and a kind pleasant and agreable member of our family she seems very much at home and quite companionable. the boys have sold but a small part of their horses and cattle are hoping for higher prices the cheese factory at Ingurs (Ingher John Paul & Co) takes most of the milk in town Austin will commit sending his next week Mercelia and Mother and families are all well Darwin absorbed in fruit sheep and hogs all promising well now /

 

Dr Peirce was at Aurora last week looking over Dr Gilletts premises with a view of buying him out. there has been very little business for physicians in our vicinity this season but some sudden deaths Mrs Mark Leavy while at meeting in the town hall was suddenly attacked with desease of heart and died after two hours of apparently the most intense agony totally unconscious and speachless Mr Leavy had concluded the purchase of Mr W^m Thompsons farm the day before her death and was expecting to live in Grouse Charles Benton has bought Abijah Drakes place married Nettie Price and is to make that his home Edwin Thompson has taken his fathers farm and with his wife (Mary Paul) are living there so you see the little children are getting married an setteling down as heads of families we hope to bless the land Your Father sends love says you have not written since he sent the two hundred dollars by Ross his health and mine are good as usual but we grow old and shall soon be no more send the letters you promised your affectionate Mother M P Hatch

 

[margins, upside down]

 

do not forget to write soon and tell how you live I wish I could have the privilege of sewing on your buttons and [?]ing things generally

 

I asked Ottie if he had anything to say to you? he replied I wish he would write to me so I hope you will take the hint and do so

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