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 youClose