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Milo May 14th 1842
Dear Sister Ann & Brother Isaac,
You request long letters & I seem to be the most unoccupied with work and care, of any of the folks; so I suppose it devolves on me, as usual, to be news-bearer etc. for the family.
Well, - ; A Mr.Heald, from Harmony, came here Thursday morning to see Charles, stating that he (or his son, I believe they are in partnership) had taken the Grist Mill for a year, and wished to take the Carding & Cloth dreping Mill too. So they talked and talked (as you know how) a long time, then went down to the mill, examined the machinery etc, etc, Yesterday he came again, talked all the afternoon, and staid all night. This morning they wrote an agreement, each took a copy, and he went off. Charles has let him the mill for one year, and I believe partly agreed to for 5 years, though it is not concluded, and will not be until they see how matters will turn out a little. Charles is to furnish materials, for repairing the mill, and Mr. Heald is to do the work, and pay 50.00 a year in money for the rent. Mr. H. appears to be a very clever, good sort of a man, a kind of Thomsonian doctor, for his own family; I don't know how much farther his practice extend. His business has been for some time repairing machines here & there -, though he has built machinery, he says, home. He's got a wife & eight children, to move here. I should think him about 40 or 45 years old by his looks, though he has been sick considerable & that may occasion him to look older than he really is. Now I will tell you what I should have told at the beginning - that we recieved the bundle & letter by Mr. Cutts, which we are much obliged. Mother will get the Vest made as soon as she can, but Persis Sargent has been sick & I suppose is not able to do it yet, & Almeida has neglected her work so much to attend meeting that she is very much hurried & cannot do it. The Richards will be very acceptable to Charles I do not doubt. I should think it would be far cheaper to buy them ready made, than to buy the linen & make them if, (as I believe you wrote), you got them for 1/ apiece. I wish, Isaac, if you can conveniently, you would before you come home get me a Hymn book. I want a small one, perhaps 4 inches long or so - if you have ever noticed Ellen Lee's you know what I want. We need another one, as the leaves are many of them out of one of ours.
The boys have brought the Hydrangea home; it is alive & well - several new shoots have sprung up. I hope, Ann, you will think of me with a feeling of commiseration, as the crisis, as Joe calls it, is approaching. O, botheration, and after that time for a fortnight, & what misery shall I not under? in the first place the pleasures of anticipation, you know are very great; and then, & then the awful reality; when the prodigy, or as Mother expresses it with more propriety, the prodigal , actually appears before my wondering eyes. But let this disagreeably tough momentous subject be banished from our minds. Charles has finished plastering - the house is all done excepting the doors, shelves in the closets,