Montrose Lee County Beloved Willford I have just sent a letter to the office for you but as another oppo[r]tunity offers itself I avail myselfe of the same in writing to you, thinking you would like to know how I and my little ones get along, today our little Willford is 10 days old and I have been out of doors, and sit up the most of the time and feal to render praise and thanksgiving to my heavenly father for all his loveing kindness to me through by life, but more particularly of late through my late confinement. You (probably with many others woho have called to see me) would say be careful and not take cold or sit up to long at first, I have tried to do so. Our little Will ford is a verry bright looking child with dark eyes his hair almost exactly the colour of yours. Sarah E. is as bright as ever and highly delighted with the babe. I often think how pleased you would be to see him and how happy we might be with our little family if you could be at home with us–may the Lord grant that it may soon be the case. Was I surroun ded by thousands I should in one sense be like the lonely dove that mourns her absent mate, who from hill, to hill, from vale, to vale, her sorrows doth relate. As my babe lay seeping sweetly on my arm thes^e^ words came to my mind I write them just as they come to my mind. Sleep sweet babe and take thy rest, For God looks down and will the[e] bless, With all that's good, in earth, or heaven, If thou wilt keep the commandments eleven. Sister Smoot desires the addition of Owen to our babe's name. I think that I shall have quite a present for you when you return if we are spared all of us to see each other. I have lately received a letter from Maine, Father Mother and sister Foss wrote in it, they they much desire a visit from you when you return, could you not take a ship bound for Portland instead of N.Y. and pass two or three days there, they all much regretted my not comeing home and passing the time of your absence with them. Father tells me if I am ever in want to come to his house where I shall find an asylum – sister Foss wants you to take Ichabod if you come that way – Mother says that she expects to loose Shuah soon – brother Ilus is married – sister Mary failes more and more. I have not heard from father Woodruff's family since you left. I heard that Sarah Milliken was expecting to be married to a man out of the church and likewise intemperate the sisters about here, wished me to write to her on the subject I did, mentioning sister Eliza Grants case to her but have received no I forgot that I told you about Shuah and Ilus in the forepart of my letter as I have been sometime writing it. Will. is laying looking at me as I write in my lap