Montrose Lee County My Dear Willford Think me not negligent in answering your letter when I tell you you that it about 3 weeks since I received your last communication which I was truly glad to get and perused it with much satisfaction— the most of my time since your letter came to hand has been devoted to the care of my babe for the destroyer has tried hard to get him from me but I feell as though I had the best right to him and I claimed him at the hand of God and he was pleased to spare him unto me which I consider to be another token that he has not forgotten me— may I ever be thankful for his mercies to me— he was taken with the hooping cough and then the croup (which is prestness for breath) set in which brought him to the gates of death – O! thought I how can I give up my babe even in in the absence of his father who had never seen him I felt as thou gh I could not endure it so I and one of the sisters that lives near me took hold on faith with all the powers of mind that we could muster and the Lord heard and answered us— she s^t^aid with me and was a greate comfort to me— you do not know her she has lately moved into the neigh- bourhood— so he is as well as can be expected with the hooping cough— he had the croup which is generally mortal with children— Sarah Emma has been verry well this winter but some unwell of late but is getting better— My health would be quite good if I did not have to be broken of my rest with my babe so much as at the present but hope that he will soon be better of his cough [Lydia Luce’s handwriting] Dear Brother, Through the blessing of kind heaven I am permited the privilege of siting at Sister Phebe's table to write a few lines to you to let you know that we have not forgotten you, my family is in good health and spirits and we hope soon to be ^setled^ in this vicinity, where we may have the privileg of visiting your family occaseon[l]y we often think of you and would be glad to have a personal interview with you, but we know that the Kings business must be attend to, we pray therefore [hole in page] illegible Lord of the harvest to prepare you for the work that lays before you [hole in page] illegible [h]asten your mission, that you may soon accomplist the work whereunto [hole in page]illegiblent and return in peace and safety to the bosom of your family [hole in page]illegiblee accept these few lines as a token of friendship from your friend and sister in the new and everlasting covnant Lydia M Luce [Phebe's handwriting] As my babe commenced crying and sister Luce sat by me I invited her to improve the time in writing to you as she had expressed a desire previously to do so while I attended to him— they have just moved from Rochester and are liveing in the house with me untill they can locate themselves somewhere else— Brother Stephen Luce left the Island the 8th of last Oct. and arrived in Rochester 15th Jan. and Sarah Luce with him she is married to a man out of the church— Brother Smith, Outerkerk, and the two brother Luce’s are in Commerce and Montrose. The 6th of April there was a conference held in Commerce which continued nearly a week there was upwards of 70 baptized and ordained Elders and the church made their appe- al to heaven for redress of their wrongs and much business was transacted during the meeting. Brothers Page and Hyde started a few days after it closed on a mission to the Jews, they go first to the Jews in N. Y. and then procede on brother Hyde has a letter for you as I thought he was going direct to England hope that you will get it for I wrote about many things in it— the work is rolling on here with rapi- dity in this country as much so and more than it ever has since the foundation of the church. There has been an Indian and his wife and daughte baptized in Commerce a few days since they came some hundreds of miles to become acquainted with the work they believed and embraced it joyfu- lly they said every word of the book of mormon was true – he was an enterpreter to six tribes. and he said that every one of his brethren would receive it he knew it would be so – two Elder with their families (brother Butler and Emmit) have gone out among the Indians on a mission. Doctor Gallund has returned from his mission I think he started just before you left Montrose and has brought 60 families with him and expects it is said 200 families more soon. I have lately received a letter from Mother Woodruff brought me by brother Dwite Webster he is now at my house and has been here about a week I expect to go this afternoon to brother Hawley’s settlement ^with him^ he appears to be a worthy brother. Mother Woodruff was well and family she mentioned haveing received a letter from you since you arrived in England. Father and Mother Carter has writen to me lately they were all well their they want you to come and see them when you return, father tells me whenever I am in want of any thing to come to him and I shall find an asylem there – sister Foss much desires to moove to the west. May 22nd I have been down to brother Hawleys neighbourhood and found them all well except brother S Smith’s wife she is quite low. Old Father John Smith lives in our house there – he is a good old gentleman - brother Albert Smith lives in that neighbourhood – they were all verry anxious to hear from you and wish to be remembered to you – brother Smoot thinks of star ting the 26 of this month for the South on a mission and brother Webster thinks of going with him.