Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Grove (Davis County, Iowa) February 19, 1867

Dear Emma

It is some weeks since I received your mothers letter stating you had written to me and wondered why I did not reply. I am sorry to say your letter never reached me from some cause but will try to write a few lines to you and hope your next will reach its destination. It is so many years since I saw you I suppose I should not recognize you at first but I will remember the features of curly headed Emma that used to come so often to see me, and Oscar too. How glad I would be to see you both now. Noah often speaks of you both and would really enjoy a visit from you.

We are all well at present except bad colds. Have had a very pleasant winter with but little snow. One week of sleighing was all & Noah and Henry wore that all out hauling some logs to mill. We have had very pleasant weather during the two winter seasons we've been here.

No one I think need find fault with the climate but for many reasons I do not like it as well as I did Illinois. It is more uneven and hilly and brushy and during the spring and fall we have so much more mud and that is too much like Ohio mud. The ground does not dry off as soon as the Illinois land. We are not as well situated for enjoying schools meeting and many other things as we were there but I suppose it will be much better here after a while. This is called a church going community but how that can be proved I don't know. There is meetings held in almost every school house and sometimes a series of evening meetings at private houses yet some yes nearly all of these same make a practice of Sunday visiting and most their friends on Sunday to return it on that day. Almost every other man or his brother is a preacher too. I don't think they have but nine commandments in their bibles else they must ignore one at least. Yet Sunday visiting is not all buying & selling horses, engaging workmen, playing __ and burning prairies too are found among some church loving people, Methodist, United Brethren, Camolites and Catholic I believe are the principal denominations holding meetings here. You don't think we are among barbarians for there are really some kind hearted people here but their customs are so different from any people that profess to be Christian people that I can not get used to some of them. There was oddity enough in Illinois but the customs were not so absurd. We have not got moved yet but hope to as soon as next week at least mother and I are very busy making a carpet, we intend to sell it. Rather an amusing event occurred here this morning. Yesterday we hung a skein of fancy colored rags all prepared on the line to dry and left them over night. This morning a yearling calf came into the yard thrust her horns through it and shook it down on her neck and went off with it. I soon discovered it but it was impossible for us to catch the thief. So Peggy went off triumphant to the stalk field with her necklace on. A little while ago the children went down in the meadow and found Peggy had been there before them and tired of her ornament had deposited it on the grass much the worse for wear. I must close. Write again soon.

Adaline Wirt