1861 November, to My Dear Sister

              First day Eve.

My Dear Sister,

It is ten o clock & I am very sleepy, but I cannot rest without sending thee a few lines to thank thee for thy letter which was received a few days ago. I am very glad you are enjoying yourselves so much, for I feared the weather would be most too cold and windy part of the time for you to be any great length of time out of doors. We have not heard how Frank got along on his journey, tho we were pleased to hear he was [?] to go, both for his sake & thine I should have come out to see the children if it had been possible for me to leave home; Sue was in town on 6th day and said they were all well the day before, but thee will have much later news than that of their welfare before this reaches you, as Chellie I suppose is a good correspondent. We have been to meeting this morning and came home in a thick snow storm, which melted of course as it fell. The first snow of the season. I suppose you have heard of Elizabeth Evans' death; so sudden, it must have been a great shock to her family. Betsy Culp has been quite ill the past week, probably may not recover; she lives a great distance off, up in Kensington, and it is a great business for Aunt Am to go up there. Betsy has no idea that she will ever get