Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Fabius, (Knox County) Missouri Jan(uary) 31st (1868)

My dear friend

    I received your welcome letter one week after date and was very glad to hear from you and yours. We are all well and enjoying the blessings given hoping this may find you with recovered health and spirits able to take up your daily burden of household cares feeling there is still a silver lining behind the? ____? life difficulties and troubles that falls to us all. So take courage dear friend and never borrow trouble. I think of the story mother used to tell me about one of her friends the days were often to short for her labors and she would comfort herself with the remark that Heaven was full of days and if they were given to her on earth she wouldn't need her work done. We have had some very cold weather it is said to have been colder than at any time for many years past by several degrees but for a week past it has been quite pleasant except the mud in the middle of the day. Our winters here are generally very mild. We have no school in our district this winter. Matty is staying with mother. Henry has been very sick with congestion of the liver but is able to work some again. Mother and Esther are not very well but they have done a great deal of weaving this winter. I have but little to do at present I have been very busy all winter now I am going to have a holiday all the week. Noah and the children are all in bed. I have no baby any longer Mily wears pants and say he is nobodies baby now only Ma's boy. He is learning his letters and can count ten, teases Pa for new gun says his wooden gun won't kill birds a bit. I would like to see your children very much particularly Emma and Oscar. It seems a long-long time indeed since I saw any of you. If ever I visit Ohio I shall come to see you and family. We have neighbors plenty. Some very good ones too but I do not visit them very much. Sunday is quite a visiting day here but I can not get in the habit of working all the week then steal the Lord's time Sunday to visit. Noah spent a week at Keathsburg last October. Place has improved a great deal since we left. Land has risen in value so that it would require quite a sum to purchase a garden spot anywhere near town.

Saturday Morning We have had quite a storm since I commenced this letter. It is quite good sleighing and more snow coming. The place is improving here. People are fencing up so much that there is considerable complaint about free pasture. We have quite a large field fenced for our cows but living by the Fabby Creek there is so much timber we have no need to keep our stock up but a small portion of the year. Pork sold during Nov. & Dec. for 5.50? 6.00? 6.50 A great many are feeding cattle and have already marketed them to be delivered some time in March at 6.50 or 7.00 per hundred. Hogs and cattle are sold alive mostly and driven off. The railroad is so near us that we hear the whistle. On the road now in operation the depot is twelve miles from us, when finished it will connect at Ottumwa. On the other road it is expected we will have one within six or seven. But I must close by sending my love to all write soon again you say you had written before. Your letters did not reach us good bye.

Adaline Wirt