20 January 1860
Scipio,
Jennings County
,
Indiana
“Dear Friends, it has been a long silence between us but I hope you
will forgive me when I give my reasons for not answering your very acceptable
letter. I have wanted to see Phebe but have not saw her yet and other household
affairs that I have not felt like riting. Dear Polly we have pretty near to be
connections by marriage as I will tell you hereafter, Charles told John they
know nothing of your brother's widdow your Sister Mary is married the third time
to a neighbor an irishman married by the Irish priest So is the story your
nephew Frank Sprout has been boarding and going to our school he i reading in
the 3rd reader he is now going to the uper school the man he was boarding with
moved from here I have not saw him his sister I expect has a good home she is or
was at J. Smiths his wife was a Peabody. Poor Mrs. L. is no more she departed
this life in August 27. John and me went to Ohio three weeks before she died she
had had her reason till the last but oh what a poor skeleton she was she
requested to be burried here in our burrying ground by Peter Hulses, also your
sisters Matilda's mother is enterd there her Tom is liveing down on the Wiliver
land she died the 4th of July last Mary McConnel I expect you knew her she went
to the Eastern states married a James Kelley moved back here again she has one
son and daughter. Father Snowden has got to be quite young he goes without his
cane and carrys a watch in his picket, I think told you nothing about Bikelys
they are here yet their oldest daughter is married. I oft times think of the
time we have had together in our visits. Down there they have a large family and
neighbors near the irish has settled in south of Millers. I must tell you we
have got a road up the stoney branch after harvest we expect to open it on
through to the township line. Mrs. Hughes has been back for money. I did not see
her but oh they are so well pleased with their new home they are sorry they did
not sell sooner. Old John was very sick they did not think he could live all the
family was sick but Mary and she had the chills wile here Susan went out there
had a spell of sickness came back she is at T. Wilkersons again she is a good
looking and a smart it will not do to say girl, their dead daughter was brought
home a corss from Cincinnati next day after she was burried they made snoe
confess the old man run Dave off he was gone about two years his mother herd
ware he was went and got him home such child and her mother look as though they
were twins one 3 weeks older than the other both girls Dave never saw the child
it died at about 15 months old even after that they all went down one thing
after another then two years ago this winter Vick's case was in the papers after
Dave came back he acted very prudent all seem to pitty him but such was just the
other way every one talking about her and all their own opinion about her it
seems the girls is all inclined to do bad or at any rate that is the chat of
them that is liveing and the two that is dead and gone. I thought of sending you
the paper but I do not know as I can find it. A number of times old Jony would
get drunk run his wife and 3 or four of the children she would go to Toms and
Eveleth's stay 2 or 3 days he would send or go for her most generaly they have I
guess lived an unhapy life them and us never had a word she used to tell me all
her troubles concerning him before they came, Margaret is in Cincinnati some
says Vick is at St. Louis Elviry the baby when they came here is with them or
with her parents they have 3 sons at home and 2 small girls they have found
burried here. Do you know what has become of Ann Eastman she went to Queensville
to wait on a sick woman the old man Rich's wife she died, in a very short time
after her death Ann married the old white headed widdow she is now a widdow with
a good home liveing in a brick house or I have not herd of her leaveing or
marrying she has buried one of her children since she went out there, this
morning made a serch in a pile of papers for Vick's case but did not find it her
mother went up to Cincinnati three times to attend court against a married man
he came out clean and she got nothing. I guess I will quit or I fear you will be
tired of hearing so much about them. Rowly you would not believe the wheat that
we harvested here now I formly had an idea it would not grow on this poor land,
wheat is worth 115 corn 45 to 50 cents oats 37 to 40 cents butter 15 cents egg
12 ½ pork 550 to 600 one hundred cash for it now turkeys 50 cents cash
yesterday 23 John been and myself went to Queensville to see Roderick Griffiths
wife she is not expected to live but a short time she cannot sit up but a short
time she has 6 children the youngest only 14 months old. I expect you will know
who she is the one you went to your uncles to see baptised, we had forgotten
about your children. I well remember your dear daughter, Mary. I must now tell
you of my heart troubles it was and is tryal my babe my youngest daughter was
married on the fifth inst. to John M. Green an uncle to Tom's wife he is called
a very nice man he is teaching school in the Dean school house Mary Toms and
Horris Eastmans children is going to his school he is a carpenter by trade I
thought it hard to part with my other girls it was hardly no comparison as I may
say. I do not know how I can see them move away from me she has always been more
company for me than either one of the others. They do not know yet ware they
will get to move when his school is out. Egbert's wife was only about 15 years
of age when they was married she is a granddaughter of Aaron Green he did live
when you was here west of Vernon he sold out bought near North Vernon. I would
like to send you a