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half an acre of Corn which he thought very much of did not come up well and will turn out to be nothing his hir'd man is pretty steady and faithful but is slow compared with my boys C. has t do all the milking Mr. Gilman has been here 8 or 9 days fixed the bulkhead the backroom and piazza & a bedroom in the west end of the chamber except the plastering. I wish it could come right for you to be at home next fall how happy we might be. It seems sad to have ye all gone. How would it do & could'nt you get along with it if C. will let you have the oxen - to come here and work. Fro 8 weeks and then go and be there the last half of the term and then take a school somewhere about there or somewhere else during the winter vacation or if you can afford to be out so long not go back till spring the old oxen has got over his lameness is turn'd out to pasture & thriving well Donkey is pretty well broke in is very kind and clever & beautiful nay C. is just breaking Nelly (the new colt) she was stubborn as a mule at first he will bring her to it as she is long and smart a noble animal Old Cate has got a little Cate or a little Becca they call it we milk 4 Cows have got 4 pigs the late sow'd Oays are all dried up almost if we dont have rain soon the crops will be very light haven't I told you now about "every little thing,,. Joseph wrote that he had a letter from you not long since but I have not seen it hope shall have one soon your last great letter journey to Boston etc. was very interesting tis very kind of Mrs. Child to help you so why didn't you stay there more I wish you could have gone to Lowell and why in the world did not you go to Mrs. Caleb Metcalf, & you ought to have call'd on Mrs. Chase & Mrs. Thaxter too. I dont see how you get along without a better coat and new cap - what did you do with your hat you said you couldn't carry it back with you but I suppose you did. If you mean to take a school next fall and winter (& dont see what else you can do) perhaps you had better stay at home till November and then go down east of here as your Chum about chances that way horribly Mr. Tash may want you to assist him but perhaps he could not afford to give wages enough. tis no harm to think these things all over and see what is best to try to do. Mary Barnes Pomeroy is staying here here 2 months while her Mother is gone a journey - & instead of the little funny nervous troublesome thing I expected she is (tho' rather childish for one of her age) neat smart and frolicsome is all round the lot among the hens & pigs & Calves learning to ride horseback picking strawberries & everywhere in a minute she'll go and catch old Cate put the saddle on herself and ride up & down the road & she has rode Donkey once but C. kept by the side of her Lucy & James & my little Jane Hobbs are just as good playmates for her as anybody notwithstanding she is a girl of good sense and quite accomplish'd I am very glad you went to Boston & think the journey must have been worth a good deal to you to say nothing about the 20 dollars.