GEORGE GOSS LETTERS Sonora Cal March 24th 1854

Dear Mother
The last mail was about a week later than usual so that I did not get Levi's letter
writen soon after you was taken sick untill last Saturday We expect
the next mail soon! I wait for it very impatiently and hope when it comes to
hear you are much better if not quite well. Levi does not write what is the
matter with you but writes that Dr Sanborn thinks you will get well again if
you are carefull and dont work to hard. Mother if you make yourself
sick by hard work I do wish you would stop. if there is not property enough
there so that you can live well without doing much hard work I have got some
here which I had much rather send you than to have your health poor when I come
home which I wish I could do now for I fear you do not lett the boys
write as bad as you are thinking I will worry about you. do you have any cough
or trouble about your lungs? if you do or if you are not well when you get this
and want I should come home this Summer let the boys write 

page2 so that I can get the letter by the middle of June and I will come as soon as 
possible for I cannot bear the thought that you should be sick while I am here and 
that if I stay till another Spring I may never see you alive. do write how you are. 
I am so anxious to hear again that I can hardly wait for the mail I wish I could be 
on the way home now but cannot get away till the first of July which is the time when 
our Company writings run out and then I can sell if I want too which I shall do if 
your health is not good. If your health gets good again I think I may stay about 
six months longer for all the rest of the Company want to keep together and run the 
mill till next winter and then sellout settle up as soon as we can and all go home 
together which I should like to do if you are all well but I shall not tell them 
whether I will stay or not untill I heer from you. I could sellout now if the
Company was willing but as I have kept the Books they want I should stay if
possible and are not willing I should sell unless I am sick or you are at home
so that I must come soon if I see you ashen I think they would not try too
have me stay take care of your health Mother do be carefull
George

page3 My health is first rate Levi and if you want to know how large I am, I think 
you can guess prety well when I tell you that the coat you thought was so big for an 
outside one when I started is now pretty tight without coat or vest under it and I get 
the bigist pants I can find in Sonora as for vest I have not wome one for almost two 
years it is not the fashion unless with the big boys and I haint quite got to bee one
of them yet & dont think I ever shall bee in Cal. I cant drink whiskey enough for that by
the way I think you are geting to bee a pretty lusty fellow and Maj' I suppose is coming 
on as fast as jonney cake will make him. I expect when I get back I shall have to look 
out or you & Maj' will give me a sweat at farming though I should like to try a 
little with you in the Sugar place say long enough to get a good mess to eat I suppose you 
know better about the farming than I can tell you. you have not wrote wheather Pat Carr
has gone to Victory or not if he has not I think you had better lett him have that on the 
hill this year 

page4 I suppose you take good care of the nursery and orchard and expect to find some nice 
apples when I get home We shall go to sawing again in a week or two as I think the rains are 
about over we have been choping trees and farming a little. have sowed ten or twelve
acres of barley which is now up and growing nicely last week we began a gardin and have got
a part of it planted ina few days we will plant some mellons and shall have them ripe about 
the 4th of July Levi you must write how Mother is as often as you can if she is not well and 
is so that she can ride out you & Francis must get her to ride all you can dont
work too hard and dont let Mother try to do any work if her health is not first
rate. keep Cousin Tirza if you can and if you cant then get a good girl to do
the work write every mail and keep on sending the papers 
George

Sunday Morning The mail is just in I get paper but no letter Well and hope you
are all well Have just found Archebal Miller well and hope to get some
news