Transcription:
1 Portage Wis Dec 7? / 82 Maggie Sarah Louie John yr before beauty Dear sisters brother I have long intended to write
to you but a convenient time never seems to come, Katie says I must write today or never so that explains my position, I have
to write eight or ten letters nearly every day it seems as though I could not find time for my foreign correspondence We are
very busy in the store at present, lots of business, folks are all well, as usual as far as I know Katie is about as usual
- children all quite well. I am better than I ve been for years, weight 150 lbs. Week before last I thought you were well
off in escaping the cold weather, 18 to 24 below zero, had to get up in the night stir up the fires in two stoves pile in
the fuel to keep every thing in the house from freezing, and we have had hard winter weather ever since. We have a good deal
of snow six or eight inches but not good sleighing. We were glad to receive letters from you Maggie Sarah and the thought
of your climbing mountains gathering flowers illegible illegible or trees also blossoms made us think less of home sigh for
ability means to fly south with the birds at the appoach of Jack Frost