Transcription:
July 1868 My Dear Friend John I received your kind letter and was glad to see it on account of not getting the from you
for sometime and also that you have so far recovered as to be able to write one, which gave me much pleasure in reading it,
We are all well here at present which is a great blessing, and we may be thankful to giver of life and health that we are
not on beds of sickness and languishing and while others are droping away around us we are yet the spared monuments of his
glory, but we don't know what a day or an hour may bring forth, death comes to men of this world in various ways, some will
see him along way of coming riding along on his pale horse, slowly he comes on till he reaches the gate he then slowly dismounts
from his horse and ties him to the post, opens the gate and goes through shuts the gate after him, slowly he bends his steps
toward the house, opens the door, shuts it, winds? his way to sick Chamber, takes a seat sit down converses with his victim,
and radically and by slow degrees takes him away at other times he comes illegible illegible rushes in at the back door illegible
illegible his victim and takes him in an instant without any? warning we do not know when illegible shall be called away,
for the son of man comes as a thief in the night, therefore it is our duty to be diligent in watching and prayer so that when
he comes illegible