Fountain Lake May 15th /63 My Dear Brother as David is going to Portage to marrow I thought I would write you a few lines.
I often think about you and wonder how you are getting along, have you found any pleasant acquaintances yet is your health
good are you in good spirits and all that I wish you would write and tell me all about it is it really true that they are
going to send all you run away's from the draft home again that will be rather a hard job wont it Dan to be sent home again
like a lot of run away slaves from their lawful Masters Surely they will never do that. we have had a visit from Mr? illegible
this afternoon he expects to start for California next week sometime to try and better his circumstances but he does not know
but they may try to stop him about New York. he is taking his show along with him it is something better than common. I believe
he showed it at illegible illegible illegible a short time ago. David was there to see it every one seemed to be highly pleased
with it we got your funny wee paper and the seeds you sent last week. David has not planted them yet but he means to give
them a good chance to see what they will do. I got a wee pickle of the sensitive flower seeds you sent to Joanna. I have sown
some of them. I hope they will grow I would like so well to see some of your Canada flowers is there gardens with their beautiful
flower and fruit gardens just the same as they had in Scotland. I suppose the manners and customs of the people will be quite
different from the those of the states. more like the old countries be sure and tell us all about it the next time you write
you know we will like to get all the news you can give us we expect John up to help us with the harvest bye and bye David
is going as far as Poignette to meet him his health has not been quite so good but was improving the last word we had. I have
not been very stout myself