Letter from Mitilda Ferguson, Philadelphia,to dear friends. Elisa Steele?
[Page 1] April 5th 1881 My Dear loving friends Once more lift up my pen to right [write?] to yous [you?] to let you know that we are all well thank God for his kind mercy to us all hoping that when this reaches yous [you?] that yous [you?]will be all the same I am long waiting for a leter [letter?] I cannot waight [wait?] no longer right [write?] as soon as you read this as I am longing for some news from yous [you?] the [they?] say the [there?] are troubled times in Ireland I hope it has not come your lenth [length?] Dear Elisa I am very sorry that you are not in this country it is a plentiful country for them that does what is right the [there?] are hundreds of people landing here at present from Ireland [Page 2] Dear Elisa we had the coldest winter here ever was seen in A merica Dear daughter I was poorly all winter myself I fell and sprained my foot it is beter[better?] now thank god for his kind mercy to all I supose [suppose?] Elisa you see bela [Bella?] Graham often there she will soon be coming back here again let me know how aunt Jane and Maryan [Mary Ann?] is and how they are getting along well Elisa I had my cousin Margaret hutchin [Hutchison?] cousin Elisa Melon and cousin Jorge hutchins[Hutchisons?] daughter to see me on Sunday last the[they?] tell me that aunt Betty is well she wants me to go and see her I will go some of these days Thomas and Mark Graham was in our house on Sunday he has young son born to him on the 26 March I was over [Page 3] their [there?] yeraday [yesterday?] Martha and the baby looks first rate she says the [they?] will call the baby thomas Mary and Sary [Sara?] went to New York the[they?] stops in your aunt Elisa Carsons Sary [Sara?] has lerned [learned?] a trade of making boys suits it is a good trade here Mary is sails [sales?] lady in the store that Aunt Elisa young son is in it is the largest in New York the[they?] say the [they?] would not stop their [there?] the [they?] will come back to Philadelphia the [they?] were in cousin James Colhoun at a grand party he had three children babtised [baptized?] he has a splendid home of his one [own?] the [they?] see Maryann McNickle often and likewise Ann Melon the[they?] are all well John is always [always?] working in the oil works he has ten and a half Dolers [dollars?] per week Samuel is their [there?] too in a tin shop he has four Dolers [dollars?] as well [Page 4] David and Wiley [Willy?] is in Aboss? shop David can make twenty Dolers [dollars?] per week and he pays Willy eight dolers [dollars?] per week out of that his baby is bad with the hoping [whooping?] cough it is the fates [fattest?] baby I ever saw your uncle David and the family is all well the [they?] were here on Sunday eving [evening?] with the rest of the friends the [they?] enjoyed them selves well Dear Daughter when you right [write?] let me here [hear?] a good bit of news as I here [hear?] that people in Castletown is greatly reduced the times being so troublesome I suppose Elisa dear you can tell aunt Janey that aunt Katy Calhoun is living with her brother the doctor in Toronto and Margred [Margaret?] and Samuel is dead and the rest all keeps store John keeps a hotel his wife is dead and left no family {Kate is alive at home with myself she wishes me to remember her to yous [you?] } [written upside down at top of page 4] Dear friend Joseph I hope you will be kind enough to rite [write?] to me if Elisa does not good by and God bless all you [written upside down across top of pages 2&3] No more at present but remain Your ever affectionate mother [written at top of page 1] to death right [write?] as soon as you receive this and excuse this bad righting [writing?] as it is old womanClose