p.

A letter from Mary A. Peckham, a sort time since in-
forms us her health is about the same, never very good, it
appears she continues to be from home a good deal on a
religious account, her father, and mother are both quite [feeble?].

Brother B. writes he has been confined to the house several
weeks this winter, and Marian was unable to walk at all she hav-
ing little or no use of her left side. Robert B. their second
son was drafted in ninth month and another young friend
of that meeting, brother said if they had been plain consistent
friends and were consciencious about bearing [underline]arms[/underline] he should
have recommended their giving themselves up to the au-
thorities to do as they saw fit with them but as that was not
the case, he advised them to pay their $300, and remain
at home which they did, though they were inclined to take the
field. A new son in law was also drafted but he got cleared
for some trifling affair about one foot, he was not a member.

I am truly glad to hear such favorable accounts of thy
children, hope they will long live to be a comfort to thine
[underline]dear mother[/underline], and thou wilt never fear after reading
this letter my thinking thee foolish for telling any thing of thy
children. I feel a deep interest in them all wish I could
know more particulars concerning them & their mother.
But have had many misgivings as to much of what I have
written paying the [? ], N. who sits by and sees how much
paper I have covered says I shall weary thou but when I get to
writing so many things come to my mind to say that I hardly know
where to stop and have not the faculty to select, and condense
the most important, so thou wilt please excuse me and consider
me as ever thy affectionate cousin Sarah

[page break]

28th When I stoped at the bottom of the other page,
I did not expect to write any more at this time but as this is
still on hand, and I thought of several things I had intended
to say, have ventured to soil this and run the risk, of hearing
Dr Botley, (our P.M.) say, "another [underline]stamp[/underline please."

Yes, friends and others already here have done a great deal, [?]
for the relief of the suffering freed men. I too have consider-
ed it particularly the business of friends to contribute largely
as they themselves have been prospered. Russel Tabor has
been the most liberal of any one I have known of, he got up a
subscription paper headed it with $100. dollars and pre-
sented it at one of their little meetings and got $[240.00?].

At our Mo. Meeting for the meeting house thou understands
they raised $200. it was all sent together to an agent
I think at York Town, Virginia. Thou wilt at once per-
cieve that there is a disproportion, as this is a large mo.
meeting, and several individuals in Hesper who are
each as wealthy as R. Tabor, and the whole mo. meeting
subscribed only twice as much as Russel, but it seems very
hard for some to loosen their purse strings. The [underline]will[/underline] does
not always accompany the [Power?]; - it always has been so I
believe and probably always will.

What a treasure thou hast in thy precious daughters!
I do not covet [underline]them[/underline], as that would be [underline]very wrong[/underline], but I can
in some measure appreciate what [underline]they[/underline] must be to [underline]thee[/underline].
I often feel very lonely, though we have many kind friends.

It must be a great comfort to have thy sister where thou
can visit her occasionally, and Paulina for a neighbor -
some one asked me a short time since if her son was married.