Oct 14th Sunday afternoon

My mind has been at rest about you since I rec'd that good long letter a week ago yesterday. after dinner we had looked so long for a letter & none came that you cant imagine how uneasy & worried we all was. some one would go to the office every day & come back & say no letter. then I would get kinder rothey & say somethin I spect I hadnt orto & by the time it was offen my tongue I would repent & think now maybe poor Helen is sick & cant or maybe she dont take time to think back how long it has been since she wrote. or it dont seem so long to her. I sent my letter to the office by Ole & give him the money to get a stamp with & cautioned him how to do & I began to think the little Ignoramous didnt do as I bid him for he is so dull of apprehension. but at any rate you got it & I got the ans to it. but I expect you got the one I was writing the same time you was writing about the same time I got yours. I was head over ears in work. but I sit down in the midst of it. for the men all started off to the Primary & left me alone so I that I would not be disturbed. but right then Blanch began to cry & I had to take her & then she made a swipe with her little fat fist & knocked it a stem winding out of my hand & under the table. well I got at it again & in come old Bear & sit down & wanted to talk & I wanted to read & wasent very sociable. & he took a hint & departed. & I did get it all took in after some time. it was a good long letter but I turned & searched the corners for more. I have been thinking about you ever since. Oh dear how I do want to see you. I said to Pa this morn wouldnt it be a big treat if we could all drive over to your house this morn. & he said maybe it would be a bigger treat to us than to you for you have so much company that you wouldnt be very glad to see us. but I that I would risk it. I can see you & Will yet as you use to come out to the gate & Ross & Blanch bringing up the rear looking as shy as could be.

Oh I must quit writing about them good old times or I will be crying in a Jiffy. This is a cloudy, dreary drizzly day. Pa went to Sabbath School. Late went up to talk & smoke with Bear. & Dick stayed here & took care of Blanch while I done up the work. it began to rain & we both lit out in the carrell [corral] & pasture to pick up Cow Splats to burn before they got wet for they dont burn good when they are the least bit damp. oh you ought to heard me scotch yesterday. the boys brought in a big box for me to burn to Iron & bake with & Mabel following behind with a great big flat one under her arm. they was so big I couldn't get them in the stove without taking off the top. I got mad & hove the biggest ones out in the yard. & then they didnt look very nice laying out before the door. I know something was terrible releived after they got rid of them. well I just said that if I ever got out of Kans I never would come back & I verily believe I wont either.

we havent had any rain or frost since I wrote. but need rain to bring the wheat up. & with out rain all it wont do much good. the men got thier hay up without any rain on it. that is to hurt it. Pa has come home. & said they closed the SS today for the year & not one Sun did I go this summer. I went to Preaching last Sun afternoon & when they sung the first piece it nearly scared Blanch out of her wits. she would listen a little bit. & then put up her lip & cry like her heart was broke & then stop & look around & then cry again. Liss Roby sit by me & she got so tickeld at her she had to quit singing. she said she pittied the little thing but she couldn't help but laugh. there will be quarterly meeting at Bethel the first Sat & Sun in next month & thier protracted meeting will follow. Oh how I dread it. Mrs Williams & Annie was here thur. Mrs Williams looks bad. she has worked hard cut corn & stackd hay & striped & cut cane & oh such hard work as that. I told her that was your birthday & she said tell you that we celebrated your birthday by going to the melon patch & eating melons. I fell over a corn stalk & fell down with my face in a big bunch of burrs & I went to get up & fell the other way & I thot she would hurt herself laughing. Annie staid with the baby & we carried four big melons to the house & it was all we wanted to do. the wind has got in the north & has got cooler & our drizzle is over & looks like the sun is coming fourth. Late & the Bear has come & I must quit & get dinner & now while I think of it. the word has come back to us that he has wrote some terrible hard things back to MO. one thing was that the people here was starving to death. now Helen you need not believe anything you hear he writes back. if its anyone starving its him & he puts one in mind of an old Bear searching all over for something to eat & likes to get a meal anywhere.

well I must close now for I am almost froze. I am sorry I cant get the boys to write anymore but they just wont but are all awful anxious to hear from you. I guess if it warent for Dick & I they would go dry for news for they wont write & Pa & Late wont take any papers. if it wasnt for Dicks papers I dont know what they would do. I got the papers on Sun after the letter on Sat & read them thro & saw lots of familiar names.

Goodbye. write soon to your old sister.