ADDRESSED TO:
Mrs. A.J. STAGE
Helen Augusta (WOOD) STAGE, my great-grandmother, wife of Albert Jackson "Bert" STAGE.
, Lawrenceville, Pa.
FROM:
Mary E. WOOD
Mary Elizabeth (GANOUNG) WOOD, Helen's mother.
, Lambs Creek, Pa.
January    the 19    1895
Dear Childern
I will try and write you a fiew lines to lett you no that I received your letter monday noon.   was sory to hear
Nelley
Nellie Avis (STAGE) RUPPEL, Helen's 2nd daughter, my maternal grandmother, 5 yrs old.
is sick.   you must be carful and not lett them ketch cold.  you mussent strip ther clothes of and wash them when thay ar broke out.  you have go to be very carful hellen.  I donte wante you to wait untill next month and then come on the Case.  I donte think it woode be safe for you to if nelley getts along as well as
tessey
Tessie Viola (STAGE) DARCY, Helen's oldest, 7 yrs old.
did it wonte herte her to come in a sleigh.  put lots of straw and hay in the botom and bundle them well and sett them in the botom and cover them up good.  that is if it keeps good sleighing to weeks longer.  if you come fetch one of your old quilts and all the rags you can.  you musent do your washing eny more than you hafto.  you can fetch them and we can gett someone to do it.  I just got my pension paper today.  havent got the money on it yet.  if i had wouldent like to send it in a letter.  if you come fetch the red dresses back and I can make them.  I have bot both off my dresses done.  if Nelley is very sick lett us no and
mate
Mary A. "Mate" WOOD, Helen's sister.
or myself will come down thair.  she wrote to me and said that if the Children was very sick and you needed her she would come and help take care of them.  I couldent do enything if i was thair.  my head has ben awful bad for a few days.  Mate wantes us to write and lett her no how thay ar. 
Write as soon as you can and as often as you can.
There is an obvious sense of urgency to this letter. The backstory: Frederick Dewitt "Fred" STAGE, b. Feb 7, 1895, is due and we find out in a later letter that Helen returns to Pennsylvania for that event.

If you have read some of the other letters, yes, Fred is named for the bird. 😀
  wish Tessie and Nelley had one of grandmas nise biskits for thair super.  cant think of eny more now.  love to you all.  hope to hear you ar all better.
from grandma