Mitilda Ferguson, Philadelphia, to Eliza Steele

		[Page 1]

                                   Phila   April 28th 1883

Dear Daughter Eliza, I once more sit down
to write to let you know I am very
much troubled to know why you did not
write to me before this I have made all 
the enquiries I could about you but I
did not find out much news only I had
a letter from my sister Eliza in New York
& she said Ann Mellon was waiting on
a letter from her people the last letter
she had from them stated you were
very ill I hope dear daughter your
health is improved since then, I have
wrote to you 2 letters & aunt Mary Ann
I wrote to& I strange & grieve very
much to think neither of you think
worth writing[writing?] to me we had a visit
from Rosanne McCallon last week
she is well & doing well I believe 
she sent 20 home to her people but

[Page 2]

dear daughter if you wrote your letter
might have went astray on account
of us moving  My health is very
poor with rhumitizam [rheumatism?] in my
bones & other inward diseases  Your
sister Mary Ann is still with your
aunt Eliza in New York & the [they?] wrote
for me to come on there in the summer
& I think I will go I have been out
with Sarah to see your brother
Thomas  he has a beautiful place
in the western part of the city
he rented his own house in town
& that keeps him sitting free where he 
is he has a large store & a 7 room house
he gets along well his wife & family
is well  he has two lovely children the 
oldest one is about 9 year old  his name is
Mark & the baby is named Thomas
Marthas sister Sarah was there the
day we went dear daughter as soon
as you read this write me a long

[Page 3]

letter & let me know all about you
& your family their names & ages
& I would love to have their pictures
& your own  Sarah had a large
painting of me taken it is beautiful
it cost about 3 of the English money
I have it hanging in the parlor
I would like to have yours sent
to me & I could have a large one
taken from it  tell Aunt Mary Ann
to write me a letter & let me know
how she is & how her mother is getting
along  I directed the letter I wrote her
to Chas Hunter Newtown  Stewart
the paper informs me of the hard
times in Ireland the[they?] are coming
here in ship loads  I hope that 
trouble has not reached yous [you?] yet
when you write give me all the
news about my old neighbours as
I like to hear of their welfare  I have
been to see aunt Betty & cousin

[Page 4]

Eliza & Margaret & Sarah Hutchinson
are well  Uncle David & aunt 
Maria 7& family are well and wish to
be remembered to you he is still in
the Gas works & makes good pay
we live convenient to to them  My boys
were not working all winter until
a few weeks ago it keep me a
little back  Johnny has learned a
new trade as a molder making
sash weights I dont expect he will
marry we live right by the 
school hill river where the boats
run It is very nice in summer
My house has 4 rooms & a bath
room with a bath tub & water
upstairs marble steps & a bell
at the door all for 9 dollars  all papered
and painted through & furnished nice
here is a picture of myself it is not
                                             (up top)

(written upside down at top of  page 4 )

as light I am it is just my features 
and all but it is taken too dark it
is not like the large one My girls 
Sarah & Kate is working in a mill

(written upside down across pages 2 & 3)
I  hope Joes people are all well give them our kind remembrance & we all
                        join in sending our love to himself & all of you