Letter from Asahel Hart Woodruff, 10 July 1885
Essex July 10 [18]85
Dear Father:
I wrote you last on
the 27th of May ^June^ (inclosing a portrait
of myself) which you will no doubt have
received before this reaches you. I wrote
yeasterday to the children at home
admonishing them to be good children
and not to neglect their chores or any
thing that watend doing about the
place. It was considerable of a surprise
to me to learn that mother had gone
out to Ashley but she will be able
to comfort Nellie in her recent trouble
and the change may do her good in
the bargain for a change of thought
a change of surroungdings and a change
of air is as good as a rest, (but then
mother is sutch a one to worry that
she is not likely to derive a great deal
of bennifit from her out.) I came down
to Grays last Monday and found
