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dirty trousers in his impatience to start. Sarah

Dear Father, - I have but few minutes to write. I am very anxious to give this place a fair trial before I can think of leaving it. I feel a great deal discouraged just now about means. It will cost me $35 at least to fix this house so we can live in it - twice as much as I expected when we began. We have raised the house as to have a story and a half and put on a new roof. The old shingles we use for a floor upstairs. These shingles are oak 3 feet long, 1/2 inch thick. Our lower floor is made of puncheons. These puncheons are made out of a tree, sawed about 5 feet long, and then split into thick slabs, and hewed down with a broadaxe. First summer we had no door or window. Now we will have a door made out of the oak shingles put that two split sticks, clapboard fashion, hung perhaps on wood? hinges, like your garden gate. That's the way they do here. Today I have almost made a bargain buying some? nails, 1200 at $1.50 a hundred. This will take a good share of the money you have let me have, and I shall then be in debt for a good share of the improvement on my house. I think I shall get the nails unclear from half a dollar to a dollar cheaper than they are selling nails here, and I must have them, and do not see how - I can split the. We are expecting some assistance from Father Colegrove this spring. I hope we can get help enough to get through the summer. I am afraid of burdening you too much, but if you can borrow a little for me, I think I could return it without doubt in a few years and pay the interest as it comes due. I am afraid you will think I am asking a great deal, particularly as you are so anxious we should return. It would be a very grievous and heavy discouragement to have to go back now. We can get along here now with a great deal less that we can start with any where else. We are not alarmed on account of the Missourians. The cruel outrages you read of in the papers take place generally (excepting the Lawrence difficulties) near slaveholding or proslavery settlement. These are mainly north of the Kansas river. The community here are overwhelmingly freestate. The Congress commission it is hoped will do us good, and lead to good for us. O that the free states would for once unite, and raise the banner of liberty for Kansas! Is that too much to expect? Love to all at home John

top margin: Am sorry to hear Robert does not improve more rapidly. I intended to have written to him by this mail but must now leave it till the next mail. It did me a great deal of good to get a letter from Robert. I feel uneasy because I have not answered his letter, but we felt bound to keep up our weekly communication with home and I have been very busy with the house the past fortnight, Send me a newspaper with a current slate in it. If you see any body coming out of Kansas send me some roots and slips. Thank you for the two letters old dollars.