(2) Well the lamp lit. it cleared awhile before night & the sun went down red as blood. I wonder what you are all doing to night are you poping corn or are you writing. is it to me, or someone else. I havent wrote to Aunt Lib or aunt Lyd yet dont know as I will to the latter if thats her style of treating pa for all I promised too.

Will told Al Elwood that he could give Kitts picture me that Aunt Lyd said so & he said if aunt Lyd wanted that picture she would have to core after it. be sure & tell aunt Lyd he is married & tell Kitt that I am waiting patiently for the picture she was going to send the two months are up. the old man Elwood was married a few weeks ago. he went East & got a woman & when you was writing of Billy Elwoods wifes death she was yet living but died the 26th. how did he ever make such a mistake and they say Billy has spent all he has got running around over different states and Billy Elwood the druggist is completely broke up & left George & Sam Jewett considerably the worse off. they say Jewett is taking everything he can, but I expect you will hear all this before this reaches you as it seems you always do, but perhaps I can tell you some Lindley news. robson has traded his property for the same in St Joe but is going to remain in Lindley but live in the Humphreys building. it is a widow woman a sister of Mrs Greer he traded with. John Bantz has traded his home for robbins property in Merryville. will move in May, poor old Lindley is going to sticks. We went to the play I told you of in my last. It was good. they have a festival & supper & the same play connected with it next Tues night. I dont know whether it will amount to much or not. we were cordially invited to help with the supper that, is to furnish something as there wasent but a few up there to take a part but I hardly think we will. we did that once & had to pay as much as them that took nothing. The old lady Belshe was buried yesterday the Mother of Bob Harve Cal &c. she was staying at Bobs this winter & wasent sick long. was first taken with drowsiness & would seem to sleep & could hardly be wakened. Mrs Belches mother (Mrs. May) is there sick too. both were taken about the same time but they think she is better now.

John hinted several times that I might go & set up there. I took the hint. I plainly told him that they never care to see us when we was sick & besides my mother layed here three months & not one of them come near. he said nothing more but I suppose he cussed inwardly. we went to the house before they left. they buried her the other side of Nevada & we come back home. I thought they had a raft of relatives to take care of her when sick. John has been working at the mill. sometimes he stays there nights but cornes home oftener. when he is not there he is loafing & gading around. has an awful cold & if he gets sick I dont know who will take care of him. he throwed his old overalls at the clothes basket this morn in the old kitchen all over clay & mud. (he dug the grave.) they dident reach the basket but fell in the middle of the floor. he remarked at the time therns mighty dirty. they have laid there all day. he has walked around them & so have I. Will said I shouldent wash them. he just does things for meaness. I know, if it wasent for his long tongue I could tell him a thing or two but you dont care about hearing of him do you.

last Wed I & the children went to Cobles a visiting. Will took his dinner with him in the timber that day. Ellen showed us so many nice things that she has hoarded up. we was upstairs two hours & then dident get through. the children was perfectly taken. She said Dora said she had a perfect museum. The day your letter come Mr Coble brought it out from town. Ross went up to get the mail & Ellen come home with him. She said that I could read yours to her if there was no secrets & she would read one she got from Annie to me. Well I of course read it to myself first & then read to her. all except that about Aunt Lyd. I managed to leave that out (& also of a bustle) & every little while she would cackle out & says thats Nett. She writes just like she talks & she is always getting off something funny just like Alice does. & she said tell you she would take one of them kisses. Ellen is an odd genious but is a good friend to me, I can hear many thing. Ann has been looking for us down ever since She was here but I am not in the least bit of a hurry about returning their visit, but will go of course but not until I please to.

John come in the day your letter come & wanted to know if Webster had been over. that he had got back for Tom Berry saw him somewhere & that he had been at Lindley & that Mrs Barns was very sick. & that he wanted to trade with Bantz for his land in Butler Co. Kan. All this he told in a breath so that that was the first we knew of his being in Mo. he hasent made an appearance here yet. recon he is mad at us too, or did he seem to be riled when he left. does he intend to live there & is there any improvements & when is he going back. I dont expect he will come near & we wont know anything about it only what you write.

Well it is bed time & I am off for bed. you dont have to climb the stairs with Mabel now on my account do you.

Read this to yourself. I wanted to .tell you so bad & couldnt help but write if it aint so very nice. I haven't seen Ann but I guess she knows now. Will has seen her since I have. it is plain to be seen. She was just agoing to have Jap go & see the Dr for she could just eat & eat & couldent get enough. She is awful ignorant & its late in the day to tell it. she said what in the world did you all do when you wanted to go out when you was riding on the cars. & if I had just thought soon enough I would told her everybody had to tell the conductor & he would stop the train & then they would all get off & bend for the brush. I think she had better go to Galt & look at the cars. ain't she green.