Mary Elizabeth Wood
Dear Childern
I will try and answer your wellcome letter that I resieverd last friday night Was glad to hear from you and to hear that you was coming back hear helen When are you coming Will you go on your place or come and stay with me this winter That is if I have eny place to stay I am not staying to Mrs Knoltons now My goods ar thair yett I can gett the Ripley house at Lambs Creek What do you think about it I have tryed to gett a house to Mansfield but donte yet Rent is so hight hear I am at Mrs. Rundles now Mrs. Knolton wente out to lews and brought the baby back with her and he was so noisy i wonte stay thair and she makes more than he does She wantes me to board with her all the time or pay more rent My bord rent and washing come to three dolars a week It was the money she is after She dont wante me to do my washing If I cant have the priveledg of doing that when I feeal like it I can go some whair els I shante leave my goods thair eny longer than this month eny hough I wante you to write as soone as you can and lett me no when you intend to moove I think I will gett a hole house insted off mooveing in with someone so if you wante to stay with me this winter you can if I live to town Edy will stay with me and go to school I think I shal go up to herbs this week if nothing hapens Edy and I went to Mrs Darlings Of corse you no that for she wrote you while we was thair I wente to Tioga last week and made Em Rundle; a visit but I donte take eny comfort my head goes so disey all the time sometimes worse than others I am getting fleshier than I was I have been down to Matee Ripleys and stayed most a week Freene Dykes wif is going to have another baby I dont no what to do I wish you ould tell me Mate and Ade wantes me to move down thair awful bad I donte no as I can think of eny mor to write now I presume I shal think of something after this is gone Donte bring your stove It is so hevy I think I will go to the borough after awhile if I donte gett a chance to send it before Goodby Love to you all from your Mother
This is a pice of Edys dress 15 scents per yard Mrs Rundle just came in and gave me this pansy and said send it to Helen
The address on the envelope was written in shaded calligraphy, unlike the handwriting of the letter itself. Several of her letters were addressed in shaded penmanship such as this but evidently not done by the same person.