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Boston Jan. 25 1837 Dear Mother I ought to have written before I suppose, but I kept putting it off all the time till now. However I am going to set about now for I must go Saturday. I have nothing to do but to saw the wood and help Almeda what I can by tending the baby &c. I have studied some at home have wrote through 2 of Fosters writing books and begun another and looked over Philosophy and Grammar some. I also go down to Ann's school-room sometimes noons, where she shows me how to write &c, as she has her dinner there all but Wednesday and Saturday. O by the way I want to know if you think I improve in writing. The baby is beginning to sit alone tell Lucy that she has now been sitting on the floor half an hour play-ing with that rosewood ring that she and James cracked last winter rolling it from the table. Also tell Mayo that I am in Mr. Bash's class in the sabbath-school and that he gave every one of his scholars a little book (Baxters Call) New Years day which was Sunday. I take turns staying from... [upside down] my health is pretty good this winter page torn am obliged to hire any washing done the cost from 40 to 90 cents a fortnight and I do the baby's I went down to Charles last week and found I was in the midst of the small pox there was a whole family oposite Miss Metcalfs that had it was near Spring/ & Popular Streets and it is now in this part of the city. I was not frightened but thought best to vaccinate my babe and now she is cross with it. Isaac has a good deal of time in which he might study but you know it is impossible for a boy to make so much progress alone the time he spends helping me varies according to what I have to do from half an hour to 3 or 4 hours in the course of the day and evening but it is at odd jobs he goes every day when he wishes to study with Ann but sometimes she cannot spare with him so you see that though his advantages are not as good as we had hoped yet they are greater than many have his religious priveleges are really very great but I am afraid he will not improve as he might. I have had him stay two Sabbath evenings for me to go to meeting the rest of the time he would go and every Tuesday evening he goes and occasionally Monday eve. and once a month the young men are to meet at Mr. Boll's for moral, intellectual, and religious improvement and he can join the association. He is in Mr. Bush's class and he is a very devoted pious man but with all these advantages he does not seem to feel more than he has done the importance of the one thing.