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Cottage Grove Feb. 26th 1850

Brother Samuel

This with is the breaking up of a hard winter, our snow is leaving us very fast, will probably disappear entirely in the course of a few days February has been as pleasant a month as I most ever witnessed, we have not had a single storm of any sort since January, but ? make cold ?, I have done nothing all winter but to get wood, and tend the stable, I have three ? calves about four weeks old, and eight ? pigs two weeks old, but have not as yet any young chickens, except my little girls, and they are about as much trouble as there is any need for, they are at this time just breaking prison, the inside of the old cabin had no ?, Estella is great ? for feeding the calves , and pigs, and is very anxious to undertake the milking, I can hardly get out doors but she must go with me, as I am called away for writings, I shall defer this until some more convenient opportunity