Aurora, January 15, 1860

Dear Uncle and Aunt. I received your kind letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you as I was just again to write as I thought that you were sick and I am very much obliged to you. Our dear boy is sick now but I expect he will soon be well. He is a great comfort to us if he should live we think he will be very much like his father. Mary Ann was brought home very sick with the inflammation on her lungs just to 5 weeks after her father was taken away and we all gave her up but we had a first rate doctor and we was very thankful that she got well. I must tell you what she said. I asked her to try and lay on her side and then she would not talk and dream so much she looked at me so pleasant and I said O but I love to dream. I said Why do you, O because I have been up there and I have seen Pa and Little Willie and Pa had hold of [end of page 1]

[page 2] Willie’s hand and they looked beautiful and I tried to get hold of them but he said not now by and by you shall, and there are such loads of people up there and it is so light but there is no Sun there. I thought that was a beautiful dream. She went back to her place in November. She gets 6s a week which is great help to me. She lives with Mrs. ?Sueneau to take care of the children at the Seminary. We live just at the back of it. I get some washing from there and I have 1 girl bond with me for this winter, and I have 1 cow I sell some milk so we have not suffered for anything so far. I trust that if it pleases the Lord to give me my health we shall be able to get along. It has taken a good deal to fix up the house so I shall have a better chance to fix for another winter. I could not pay rent it is so high here. We have had very cold weather for about 6 weeks but it is a little better now. When I think of how much Thomas has suffered for the last 3 winters I have to praise the Lord that he has taken him [end of page 2]

[page 3] out of all the troubles of this world and I expect he is reaping the reward of all he has suffered here and I must say that the Lord is very kind to us, for we get along better than I expected, for my health is so much better than it used to be. I have worked very hard this last year. I had applications for all the girls but I will never give them up unless I lose my health. It was almost the last words Thomas said. I think you will be able to get along and try and keep the children together. Don’t give them away. I have 4 children- Mary Ann was 13 yesterday, Elizabeth, and Sarah [about 8 years old], and Friend will be 2 years on the 19 of February. I am again to have a lease of my lot for 4 years from the 1 of May next for nothing and by that time we can make a fresh bargain. I had a letter from my Aunt Mary this last summer. Her health is about the same. My Cousin Thomas is married to a Friend, my Bro is living with my old master yet [end of page 3]

[page 4] when you write tell me if Philip Claydon is dead. I often wished that we had never come here but it is no use to find fault. I should like to come and see you some times but as I can get along I don’t expect I shall ever move so much again. I never did like so much moving. We have moved 20 times in 14 years. Perhaps it is all for the best. We cannot say. Br. and Sister Coleman is still here though he don’t preach for us now our children have a very interesting Sabbath school they have 3 papers the S S Advocate and the Good News and the M Advocate. I cannot spend so much time in reading but it is good to have a good memory so I can think of what I have read it is very hard times here yet for Memory it is the time to see the honest ones those that have money can make a great deal it seems hard to see so many lose them ?Pleases because they cannot pay up. I am thankful that we did not go to Kansas. Thomas got all planned to go last year [end of page 4]

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