Histories

Denison Iowa

March 24/61.

Dear Julia

I received your kind letter
Thursday evening (this is Saturday) and
was very glad to hear from you. Oh
Julia I wish you would come up and
see us. Now please do come. We *** a
be *** glad if you would. We are all
as well as usual I believe.
Billy went home a good while ago
I think it was in January.
Maria was up to (our J***) Denison
on the 22 of Feb. to a Ball at Mr. Ellis'es
but she did not come to see me.
She swallowed a pin and needle a few
days before she was over her Mother
wanted her to stay at home but
she would not do it and it 

turned very cold and the day they went
home I herd that she froze her
feet and hands. I think it was
a lesson that she will not forget
soon. She came over with Charlie
Buss. I suppose you heard
that Charlie and his wife have
parted. O Julia my pen wants
to write faster than I care us
something else is the matter for
there is more ink comes warm than
is necessary. Julia we have got a
little girl living with us her name is
Clara Wood. I presume you have seen
her and her mother too. She is going
to stay until she is 18. She is in her
5th year and will be of some
use some day if she lives and
keeps well. She can talk enough

to keep a saw mill running
all the year even if talking would ***
**** at all. Hannah Reed
that used to be, has got, well you can guess
for what. I won't know whether I
whether I ever told you that that
Manerva Jordon was married of as not.
Julia I never knew that you was
any worse than usual last summer
until I received your last letter.
O Julia I should want to die if
I had to live like Ellis and his
wife does. O h it must be dreadful
to live where there is no love. I ***-
*** instead of better over there. Mrs. Mil***
has moved where Persons use to live
and they have dreadful times. Mrs.
Ellis' health is very poor and he
is just as mean to her as he can

be. Mr. Conner and her lives there
together. Not a great while ago Conner
went away to stay all night and
that woman Mrs. Millville sent ****
to Mr. Ellis'es to have him come
up and milk her cow so he
went now had not he ought to
be hungry? I wish you would come
up and see us. There I could tell you
lots of things that I cannot write-
Edward has gone home to tend
his spring work. He is going to
live down to Twelve Mile Grove this
summer and work one of his father's
farms. The snow has always all gone
we expect Denison and family back
in a few days. They have been
gone all winter. They are going to
living S. families with them.

Julia I have got my ****
full and am not done yet.
I don't think you will grumble
because I wrote each a short letter.
This time Mrs. Gables' little babe
is very sick. Mrs. Stockbridge lost
hers last week and I am afraid
Mrs. Gable will loose her's if she is not
careful. Now Julia I declare I must
stop writing for Mac will be
home for his dinner presently.
I **** afraid that he will scold
but the lord of Supervisors must
to day and he has to be there.
Julia I will forgive you this
time if you will not repeat
the same offense again but you
don't know how I watched the
mail every time they came

for a letter from you. Now
if you cannot read this letter bring
it up in your pocket when you come
up this spring and I will read it
for you. Be sure and come whether
you bring the letter or not.

(in haste)

Write soon

From your Friend

Mary L. Mc H.