could not sit up to have my bed made, I was brought verry low in consequence
of my situation little Sarah Emma was verry sick at the same time both of our
lives were nearly dispaired of but through the mercy of God I got some better
so that as soon as my house was called done I went into it, it had no door
window or loft in it, and it was a hard matter for me to get it done any way they
seamed unwilling to do it, I had no shelter for the cow and was much trou
bled to get wood, my house was verry open I was alone the most of the time,
but could not sit up only a part of the time. I often felt that I was alone,
a stranger in a strange land sick and ill provided for with my little Sarah clin
ging around me as though she had no other friend to look to for protection &
not knowing how it might turn with me would often cause me peculiar feelings,
but I would often look back and ask myself the question did I leave my fathers
house for the sake of honour, ease, or popularity, I think I did not but for the word of
God then I would try to be reconciled to my situation but I found it to be verry
hard work in the situation that I then was in— once I had a kind Willford to cheer
me in my lonely hours, but then I had none. I lived in my house about 2
months and quite as long as I wished in the situation that it was then in. Father
Clark learned the situation that I was in he invited me to go to his house
and spend the winter with ^then^ Sarah and my cow and calfe, and when I felt able
to sew some for his family I accepted the invitation and am here now, in the
spring he asked me to stay untill fall I have concluded to do so as they are building
houses for the wives of the 12 in Commerce I shall probably voo move there in
the fall I have flattered myself that I should have my Willford to help me move
then, as I have moved 4 times since you left. Father John Smith lives in
my house now in Lovely street it was fitted up for for his family. Tell brother George
Smith that his father and family are well have lately received a letter from him
and sent an answer to it— I wrote a little in it to you as I was there on a visit.
I have just returned f[ro]m a visit to Commerce and that neighbourhood the first
one I have made [sin]ce you left home— I was gone 3 weeks Brother Petty has
returned from the South and settled in Commerce brother Stephen Luce and
brother Outerkirk lives there likewise brother Albert Smith and Ephraim Luce lives
on the west side of the river. The brethren have a got a big field as they call it
in brother Smoots neighbourhood it contains about 300 acres of land he
(Smoot) has lately gone out on a mission for six months, brother Webster
from Connecticut has gone with him he has been here and spent a week with
me and brought me a letter from Mother Woodruff they were weell and
mentioned haveing received a letter from you— I shall write to them as soon
as I finish this- I found brother Webster to be a fine man. I suppose you knew
that he and Eunice were engaged to each other - he told me all about it when he
was here. Sarah Milliken expects to be married soon to a man out of the church
he has lately joined the universal church so you can see how much faith ^he has^ in mormon
ism. Arthur Milliken and Lucy Smith have lately been married Ilus
Carter is married and still lives in N.Y., I have received a letter from father
and mother Carter and she said that she expected to loose Shuah soon they were
well, they want you to come there when you return home - sister Mary fails.
Sister Rhoda Scammans has got a young daughter 13 days older than our little,
Willford Owen, which I suppose you have heard of long since for I wrote a
letter to you before I was confined but reserved a space in it to give you the news
and kept it by me untill after my confinement then immediately had it finis
hed and sent it to the office I there gave you an account of my situa
tion but lest you have not received it I will say that I may had a
fine son on the 22^nd of March whome I call Willford for his long absent
father he was taken with the hooping cough when 5 weeks old but has got over it
now and grows finely it is said that he resembles his mother much.
Sarah Emma grows f^i^nely is backward about talking but says many words
calls poor, pa,pa, & prety pa pa many times in a day, she calls the babe pretty
boy and pretty Willo, she runs out of doors to play much of the time, and is as busy as
you ever saw a little one, she and Willford wrote to their papa in the letter that I sent