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Letter.

Dear Mother & sister
You have no doubt been looking for an answer to your very interesting letter of October 19th long ere this, I attempted several

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times to answer it, but never untill the present moment, has it been accomplished, you must not think that I have forgotten you, because I have not written more frequently. No, Dear, Mother & sister I assure that my affection for you has not in the least abated, it has increased, I think of you every day of my life, and often dream of you at night, I am getting very anxious to see you, but I expect it will be several years yet before we can visit you, I have sett a time I say two years from next spring, if life and health permits us, but I hope we shall have the pleasure of haveing some of you to visit us before that time, I know you will be pleased with this country, Illenois is a delightful country to live in, Brother John talked of coming to see us next summer, he must be sure and come, Mother you or emma come with him and Margaret come, as many of you as can, I have not been much homesick yet, I am very well pleased with Illenois yet all the objection I have to the west is that it is not as healthy as the east, I had a spell of the fever last august was confined to bed 5 or six days, I have had several shakes of the ague, but at present I enjoy good health and am stouter and fatter than I have been since I have been in the country. We have been keeping house since July last, I like the employment toleable well, house-keeping is attended with a great deal of care. We live in about the best house in town, though it is only one story high, 3 rooms, and a kitchen, the largest room is larger than either of your two front rooms. We have our stove in it and it makes the room quite comfortable, though the weather has been very moderate, we have two cows, I churn about 3 lb of butter every week, we have but one horse, had two but the Doctor sold one, but he intends buying another in the spring, we have six cats and any quantity of rats and mice — we had a boy a few months in the summer to assist me in doing the housework, but he has left us and since he is gone we declined getting any other in his stead, as his assistance did not lessen my daily duties any. there was consideral sickness here last summer in August, September, and October, the Doctor was scarcely a day at home, and often away all night, which made it very lonesome for me.

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We received our boxes 9th of September, everything was safe, they had been stored up at Pittsburg.

I feel quite lost here on account of haveing meetings so seldom, there is preaching here once a month, I beleive they dont have any prayer meetings or hall, at least I have not heard of any, the principal church is the Cumberland Presbyterian, I attended a methodist campmeeting last August, the smallest campmeeting I ever was at, there was about 12 tents, it lasted only 4 days, very poor preaching, I staid on the campground one night, I took cold there, was the cause of my having the fever, it was held 6 or 8 miles north of independence.

I have not quilted my flyer quilt yet but intend quilting it in the summer, I have not done anything on my red star quilt, I can get no red oiled calico, here, I suppose I will be obliged to leave it untill we visit Penna. I have a good deal of sewing to do, two dresses, for myself to make, and several shirts for the Doctor, shams and collars, I am kept very busy, I just finished a pair of gloves for the doctor, I was 4 or 5 weeks kniting them, but you know I am a poor knitter, they are the first gloves I ever knit. we have had snow here 6 or 8 [inches] deep, it only laid a few days.

Women in this country dont work as hard as they do in the east, the most of the men here milks the cows. I milk our cows myself for I despise to see a man sitting under a cow milking, I think it is a womans work. I received a letter from sister Mary some months since, I intend answering this week. I received one two weeks since from cousin Mary Crosson. I read it with pleasure, she informed me of the news and changes about old Millersburg. Write soon and do not do as I did.

— later

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I wrote this 3 or 4 days since, at that time was well but at present I am almost distracted with the tooth ach — I caught a cold and it settled in my teeth, my face is very much swolen I can scarcely see out one of my eyes, the Doctor is well and enjoys good health, write soon as I am anxious to hear from you, the Doctor joins me in love to you all, give my love to Unculs Crossons, Johns family, Josiah family and to all enquiring friends I am your affectionate daughter and sister
Lucinda Rutherford