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Letter.

Dear Sir,
Amidst the causes of laying up winter provisions for family & cattle I at length take time to adress you a few lines concerning the past present & future. Of the past I may state that we are all well. John has florised wonderfully: five months have rolled over and he has ‘grown & waxed strong.’ Lucinda thinks him a prodigy. Lucinda has enjoyed good health excepting an attack of Dysentry 3 months ago & lately two chills of the third day ague. For myself I have had no sickness at all. I was laid up a day or two with the colic in the summer which came from eating too much: at present I am perfectly hearty. I should have written sooner. We rec'd a letter from Brother Jackson informing us of what we did know; concerning the Philad. Riots together with a kind of dirge monody of his own composition of the horrors of the same, a picture which with a little alteration would do well to prepare a missionary for his labours amongst the savages of the South Seas. He told us of what we did not know viz the wonderful increase in your family. Just think of it; three at a time — why sir if you keep on; in a few years more you will have to do as the bees do in Illenois — swarm out & hive somewhere else. You must have been calculating on Clay's election & the supremacy of home manufacture under a protective Tariff — as it is there is danger of a famine in the land. But keep a stiff upper lip — let Retrenchment and Reform be your motto and notwithstanding you are cooped up between mountains with little elbow room to moove in you may still find Lykens valley large enough for you and them too. If you was in Illenois

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it would make no difference. You could set your sprouts out on the vast Prairies where ‘the shrill winds whistle free’ and like the Bannian tree you could see your own branches take root in the deep rich soil & florish around you with over-shadowing luxuriances

In consequence of the heavy rains in the Spring and the fore part of Summer there was an unusual amount of sickness in Illenois. There was not more than usual in these parts. A few children died. But one grown person ‘stept out’ within the bounds of my jurisdiction. At present it is healthy. I have never seen half as little corn raised in this country. The wet season drown'd it out. It is worth 25 cts a bushel an unusual price. But little pork is fatted. Everybody expects to scratch over this winter as best they can, & hope for better prospects next year. I expect to collect but little money this winter.

Nov 25. Lucinda has missed her chill for today. The weather is cold; we had an eclipse of the moon yesturday evening.

Friend Clay has not been elected president. Jemmy O Poke swept this country like fire. I do not know the vote of Illenois but his majority is large. By the returns of Dauphin County I perceive that Lykens valley has given a good Whig vote. Millersburg was quite strong. There must have been a change since I left. Halifax too was right side up for once. Your neighbor J. C. Harper has got a seat in the great counsel house. Our friend Dr Rathbon fell far behind. He did but little in Paxton and in Mifflin his vote surprised me: what was the matter, was he too lazy to Electionere or what else. Write soon and let me know. I suppose you begin to have some misgivings of the tenure of your valuable office. If you loose that I can see no remedy for you but the Retrenchment and reform before spoken of.

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I would say in respect to the Lamps that the article sells pretty well provided the tubes are of the flat kind. I do not think that much could be made on them. Common tin Lamps large size sell in the stores for 37 1/2. I have no doubt but I could dispose of them & if Levi thinks proper to send them I shall do my best. The freight & storage would on a couple of gross be 4 or 5 dollars. Direct to H Rutherford Oakland Coles Co Illenois
(care of
Burk & Co Pittsburg
J M Stockwell Evansville
J. Mc.Culloch Clinton
Indiana)

When Lucinda will write I do not know. She has to answer Brother Jacksons kind letter. He enquired anxiously and affectionately how soon we would be back & to name an early day, without considering the folly of dropping all buissness every year or two to travel back 700 miles to say ‘How do you do’ & ‘good bye’. God knows that if there was nobody else but him to see we should never think of crossing the mountains again. I shall expect a letter from you soon. Our best respects to your lady and particular love to your young Triumvers.

H. Rutherford

N. B. The cap sent in your letter came safe, it was rather small & John besides has never worn any, yet we hold it dear for the sake of the giver & may possibly use it on some of our forth comming responsibilities.
HR