No 5

Belinda Iowa Oct 13^th 1862

 

            My Dear Husband

                                                I now count the time between mail days, and am anxious for the time to pass. I think two or three days seem as long to me now as two weeks did in the happy times gone by. I received letter No 5. today was glad to hear that you were all well, except Charley and I hope that the measels will not go hard with him and Frank I sent your letter over for Mother to read, and I expect that they will be very anxious about the boys until they hear from them again. Pap talks about going to Burlington the last of this week but is not certain whether he will go or not. Mary received a letter from Liz today. she wrote that they were all well and that Pa Cyrus and Coony all started home the 22^nd of Sept. we will begin to look for them the last of this week. I expect that Cyrus will seem like a stranger to us for awhile and I know that every thing at home will seem strange to him.

 

            That order come all right and Harvey started to get the money last saturday and went as far as Jim Molesworth's and Jim told him / that the board met the week before and he went down and got $50.00 on his order and he said that it called for $61.00. I expect that $50.00 will be all that we will get. and Wilson is gone from home now and I am afraid that we will not get the money when we need it. We have had some very nice weather for a few days and have made some number one molasses. We took off seven or eight gallons tonight. It looks like rain tonight but I think it is too cool to rain much. We had a heavy frost last thursday night and it has been very cool ever since. Jo M^cCorde was home on a furlough and when he started back his wife said that she could not stay at home without him and she was going to go with him if he had to go. she went with him to Oskaloosa and has not come back yet. she told one of the near neighbor women to see that her children had good winter clothes. I think that she could best secure her husbands pleaure and her own and childrens comfort by staying at home and takeing care of her family. I write so often that you cannot expect me to write much at a time Tell Jim that Mary and the children went up to his father's sunday evening. I will not write any more now but will write soon again.

 

Believe me your devoted wife.

L. A. Reed

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