August 14th 1870 :: Sarah Greene to Sam and Elizabeth

Rootstown August 14, 1870

Dear Brother and Sister

I received your letter some time ago and am sory to think that I have not answered it yet but I hope that you will forgive me when I tell you that I have been very busy. have had some thing or other to do that would keep me to work all day and when night came it was impossible for me to keep awake. I have not hired any thing done this summer excepting the sewing and that Lydia done for me, and I feel as though I have done quite a summers work.

in the first place last spring I made a carpet and then cleaned the house and boiled all most two barrels of soap and thought that I had got about through with my big work when the children took the whooping cough and that keept me busy six or eight weeks longer. but they have all got over it now. Arthur had it real hard. Susie and Freddie did not seem to mind it so much. Freddie has growed so that he does not seen like a baby any more. he has the most go ahead in him of the three. he talks to every body that comes along. he takes care of himself and dont care for nobody. Susie has got to be quite a girl. she goes to Sunday school every Sunday and repeats a verse. she went to meeting alone last Sunday. Arthur and Susie wanted to go alone to day. they thought that they could go alone as well as to have papa go with them.

I have not been to a meeting this summer but a few times and do not expect to go untill after September. I thought I would tell you but hope that you would not cry and feell low spirited about it. I try to make the best of it as it makes me tougher every time. perhaps there will be an end to it some time. George is going to get me a girl tomorrow.

Seymour Reed’s wife had a baby in July. she had one just a day before I had Freddie. she is so much a head of me. Mary Roy is going to be sick in September. Lucy Parsons Seymour had one in June. there was only sixteen months difference in her children’s ages and there is a lot more but I cant stop to tell them all.

We have been having very hot weather here this summer and a great deal of rain but every thing seems to have done well. the crops have all been very good. have fruit of all kinds. peaches are not going to be quite as plenty as they were last year. we have had a few on our trees of the early kind and will have some that are later. we have a very good garden. we have our living allmost out of our garden as we are all fond of every thing that grows in it.

It has been very healthy here this summer. have not heard of much sickness any where. How do you like your new home by this time. I suppose you have got you new house done and got settled down and are to work fixing things on your own farm which must seem nice to you. I hope you are contented and and will get along well. your letter has all most given Georg the fever to go on a farm. he thinks that he would like it so much better than the store. I do not incourge him as I dont think that he understands farming well enough to be a farmer but I dont know what we may do.

how does your children do. do they feel contented or are they home sick. how I wish I could see them. when you write tell us all about them and your home and about the improvements of the place. I have not seen any of our old neighbors latly excepting Mary Jones was in here a few weeks ago. she is the same old thing that she used to be. she inquired about you. they are having trouble about there property. John is in a hurry to get his share. John Heisler was in Akron jail some time ago for forging a note and steeling a horse and carriage. his folks are building a new frame house this summer. Well I dont know as I have any thing more to write this time. besides I am very tired. excuse my poor writing as my pen would not make a mark half of the time or I suppose I am out of practice. write soon if it is but a few lines. perhaps I can write sooner next time.

Good bye, Sarah Greene

Our love to you and Sam and children

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Sam and Elizabeth were living in Nodaway county, Missouri at this time. They had two children, Minnie was about 2 years old and Harvey was not yet a year old.

Sarah was still living in Rootstown, Ohio. She was expecting her fourth child in October. Susie was 4 1/2, Arthur was about 3, and Freddie was not quite 2 years old.

See The Berlin Family :: List of The Letters for a complete listing of all of the family letters.