February 9th 1881
Care John Lawton Esq.
East Okland [Oakland?] & Canada
Co Cal [California?]
Dear Cousin Mary Ann
I hope that you are
well I was A long time
Answering your letter
I was going to leave the
city And live in the country
and that was why I did not
rite [write?] to you this has been A
very wet winter here It rains
most of the time
I have A very pleasant
place here And biger [Bigger?] wages
it is in they Countrey [Country the
have 3 children And I take
Care of the youngest She
is 3 years old I hope that
your mother is well And I
Sen [Send?] my love to yous [you?] All And
to the rest of my friends. When
you rite [write?] to me let me know
how Patrick Heron is if he
has not John And Jane home
yet And I want to know
if you have got a sweethart [sweetheart?]
yet I have none yit [yet?] Marey [Mary?]
has Some but I do not
know how manny [many?]
Mary Ann I want you to let
me know what that wife
of John Sinclairs looks like
if she is very pretty Sams Wife
is A very plain woman She is
not much biger [bigger?] than I am She
is Dark and the Children
Are very fair And Willie has
As manny [many?] Stories As William
Smith would have
the [they?] have a piano here
And I am learning to
play on it I have 3
lessons in the week And
on the mishin [mission?] that is
ariving [arriving?] And the [they?] have
13 [----?] And the [they?] have
A best for them And I
have made to [two?] Sets of Cloth
for the bed we undress
them eavery [every?] night [Anne?]
puts them to bed
to [two?] of the children goes to
school And the [they?] Go out
Doors to play with
Fannie And [---?] when the [they?]
Come home the [they?] Have a big Dog
his name is Jack the call
the Cat [Laidey?] & the Cow
Daisey & the mare Boley
the have 4 hundred
Chickens and the [they?] have
the young chicken [co---?]
but by themselves the [they?] have
A boarder Anna Sinclair later
some days he have [has?] 50 young
chickens the [they?] call some of
the hens white big houses
Some of them is [are?] brown big houses
[him?] is better that is our
bell Good by Mary A. [Ann?] from
Cousin & Mary Sinclair Care
L. Lawton Esq. East
Okland [Oakland?] & Canada
Co California
