Sabbath Afternoon

Barnesville Feb 22/62

 

Dear Sister                                                                                       

                        This afternoon finds me seated for the purpose of answering your kind and welcome letter which I received two or three weeks ago and I hope you will excuse me for not writing sooner but you are not allways so prompt in answering mine well we are as a family in the enjoyment of good health and hope should this letter reach you it will find you one and all enjoying the same great blessing. Jule it has been snowing all day and I hope it will stay on untill the first day of April and I think I will get a sleigh ride. well Jule it has been a week to day since I commenced this letter but W P Lane came and of course I had to lay my writing to one side untill he left and he was here all the afternoon and also for tea and then we went to Church the snow fell and on sunday afternoon there was a / sleighing party got up and I was one of the party there was thirteen couples of us and we went eight miles in the country and staid all night we had a most splendid supper about twelve Oclock we were up all night and we had just the nicest time ever was and it was half past eight tuesday morning when we got home Oh my but I was sick I went right to bed and laid till eleven oclock and I went to bed again after dinner and slept till five and by that time I began to feel pretty well but I was so tired and Will had to go away that night and he called as he went to the Depot and he said he was so tired and stiff he did not know what to do and I have not heard from him since and I have also been to Columbus too since I wrote to you. you know it is a hundred and 30 miles Oh Jule I had the nicest time you just ought to have been with me we visited the Asylum and the State home and the prison they are very nice and they are kept in such perfect order I am going to live in Columbus when I go to house keeping and I stopped at Zanesville as I came home I never have went so much in my / Life as I have went this winter but we might as well enjoy our selves a little there has been so many parties in Barnesville this winter the hard times does not seem to stop them but the worst has not been yet I fear for they are going to draft again this spring and I do think it is dreadfull to think of Jule what is going to become of us if they keep on I do wish it would end. I would not care on what terms but I think it is the work of God and we ought to be resigned to his will I have not heard from Tommy since I am very sorry I have offended him I must write to him when you write to him again tell I had no idea of making him mad or I not have said any thing for the world ask him to forgive. Rufus has been in the hospital for some time it has been over two weeks since I had a letter from him he said he would go to his Regt in two weeks I am looking for a letter every day. I read a letter from Ike Lane last week he is at Murfreesborough and he is a read red hot Democrat and they are called Secesh here and he said they think that the war will be over in a short time he says he will be / at home the fourth of July but I fear he will be disappointed. well this is sunday morning and I was not going to Church so I thought I would try and finish this letter. it is snowing again. Jule I do hope you will send me your photograph I will be awfully pleased now do send it and when I go to Wheeling I will have some taken and I will send you one Will says he thinks you might send him one too. there is going to be a great many weddings this spring and they say that I am one of the party but that is not so I have half a notion to be an old maid Jule what do you think of it do you think that it is best I do Oh Dear just to think of what follows a married life if we could live as we do now it would not be so bad Oh Jule I wish you was here to day I could keep you talking all day for I am more tounge than anything else but I know I could not beat you but just wait I think if nothing happens I will come and see you all. well I have told you all that I can think of at this time the family join me in sending their best love to all your family and except the largest share for yourself Will sends his love to you /

 

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now write soon a good long letter give my love to all my relatives if they have not forgotten me but I expect they have forgotten that I ever lived now dont forget to write soon sooner soonest

 

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excuse blots and blunders

when it rains it sometimes thunders

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