Jefferson Con Iowa 12th mo 16th 1855
Respected Cousin I am seated beside the candle this evening trying to write a few lines to thee. In the first place I shall tell thee that we are all still numbered on the land of the living and in usual health as far as I know. There has been considerable of sickness in the settlement the past summer and fall and several deaths. The disease was principally fevers but the health is really good at present.
I received a letter from thee near the first of this month bearing date July 28th. It was satisfactory to hear that you were all well. We had not heard from you in so long that we were about to conclude that you never received the last letter I wrote. But on receiving thy letter we found that thee had written and it had been miscarried. It had been lying in mine Eagles post office Pleasant Plains Harden County Iowa. When thee writes again please direct thy letter Pleasant Plains Jefferson County Iowa as there is another P Plains in Harden Con. Letters are frequently sent there that ought to come here unless the loss is mentioned.
There are a great many people coming to the West this fall in search of new homes. It is said that all Indiana wants to come to Iowa and when all Ohio gets in that fix I hope we will hear of you among the rest. There are several families here now from the Hoosier state. I mean that have lately come and more expect to come in the spring.
Brother John (3698) sold his farm a few weeks ago and expects to go in search of a new home ere long. He got 15 dollars per acre for his land.
Corn is pretty good this year and plenty of it. Wheat is not good nor so plenty. We have had a very dry summer and fall although we have had some very wet days. It rained and froze last week until the ice got so thick on the limbs of the trees that some of them broke off and fell to the ground. The bushes were so bent over our school road that we had to have them trimmed up before we could get along very handy.
We are all going to school this winter five in number. There are two other scholars boarding here. We had four last week but two of them are going to attend another school and consequently will go from home. That made nine scholars out of one house and then the teacher is boarding here to. He is a cousin of ours who came from Ohio this fall. His name is Thomas H. Winder. He appears to get along with it pretty well so far. There are two weeks of it gone but I have only went one week. I have been studying reading writing Arithmetic and Geography
There have been several weddings in the neighborhood the past fall. They arranged on each week for several weeks and the most of them got the fun of being sharied. But stop they are not all married yet. There are still enough left for the to get one if thee will come out and show they self and let them know there is such a person before it is everlastingly to late. Thee spoke of there being so many old bachelors and maids in your country. I think that our country is plentifully blessed with them and it also has its share of Widows and Widowers. There was one of the last mentioned here to dinner to day.
We would take it kind of Aunt Sarah (3563) if she would write to us once in a great while. If she can’t do it any oftener and let us know where she is and how she
spends the time if nothing more. She has never written the scratch of a pen since she married or if she did we never got it.
I think it is about reasonable time for me to draw scribbling to a close unless it was of more importance. If thee gets tired of reading such an uninteresting paper as this before thee gets through feed the fire on it.
No more at present for my fingers are very tired and the clock has just struck nine. Write soon and let us know if you are all well.
From Anna Bell (3703) to Sarah Blain (3705)
PS Martha (3700) says to tell Aunt Sarah that the carpenter is married. Perhaps she has not forgotten the girl he married. Her name was Margaret Jane Dillon. She was one of our near neighbors when Aunt was here but her and her people have moved off to another part of the State. Except her eldest sister who still lives in this settlement. But she says to send her the patterns any how for there is plenty more carpenters as good.
I believe that most all that were young grown people then are married now.
Martha says to tell Aunt Sarah to write to her.
My fingers are so cramped that I can hardly write.
Adieu A B
NOTE: In 1857 Martha Bell (3700) married Thomas Winder.
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