My dear Husband:

It is through the mercies of the good Lord

that my life has been spared to write a few lines

to you to let you know how we are getting along at

present and to let you know that your letter baring

the date of December 30^th came to hand yesterday

and found us all enjoying tolerable good health.

I am not very stout yet but am gaining strength slow

ly. I am able to be up all the time and can work a

little but not much, my back is very weak and hurts

me very much ever since I was sick. The baby is well

and seems to be very hearty, it is not so poor as Henery

was, it weighed five pounds and nine ounces. She will be

four weeks old next Wednesday. She was born on the

21^st of last month; it was my birthday too, I was 25

years old that day I should have like to have had you

here then but we got along very well as it was day,

or rather in the morning. I was not sick very long Mother

and Liz Hines was all that was here until it was over. We

did not have time to get the doctor or anybody else much here

I got along much better than I did the other time but

am weaker in my back and am not able to work as I was

in the same length of time. Well no more of this as I

expect you have heard about it before this time as Sarah

Jane wrote to you about it the same week, but I

thought I would write the perticulars, as I thought you