Ora April 17

Dear Friends

We received your letter in due time, was glad to hear from you. Are glad that you are all as well as you are. Joel and the children enjoy good health at present. As for myself I have not saw half a dozen well days since I wrote you last I guess I bragged of my helth a little too much and had to get sick on the strength of it. Nevertheless with the childrens help I have managed to do any work.

We all want to see you very much but don't know when we shall be permitted to do so. We have had a long six months winter pleasant most of the time sleigking one day that was Christmas rather a steady cold all the time until the first of April. Everybody said a sp_nd winter to keep from killing the fruit [no danger/ no danger?] that the fruit will be killed in such a backward spring our trees did not blossom until one week ago then the blossoms and leaves all put out and you can imagine how beautiful our whole place looks on this 17 of Apr Easter Sunday and so I will have to tell you Good friday morning it was so warm and pleasant and warm the children running around with their shoes and stockings off and petticoats too, and myself in stocking feet can't you guess how warm and nice it was then well the weather changed and Good friday we, No darn it I mean bad friday in the evening it snowed Excuse the mistake it didn't snow but just poured ice cicles down one for every fruit bud clear to the heart and I feel to day as if I had a dozen of them around my heart. Oh you can't think how wicked it makes me feel.

Our fruit our hopes all [blasted?] so suddenly after such a fair promise Peaches, Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plumbs all out in bloom and now it makes on feel bad to see the pretty blossoms try to peep from under the deep cover of snow it snowed yesterday and last night and to day the sun shines out a little just for contrariness I suppose the children beg one to quit writing if I can't think of something better to write Sammy says to tell them that Papa hopes for the best, and that this snow is good for the wheat and the wheat looks good and is up to his knees yes our wheat does look splendid. And Katie wants me to tell you what a nice Boquet of wild flowers she gathered for me. A nice flower pot on the Mantle shelf now.

Kate says tell you that she helped kill a water moccasin snake two weeks ago when her and Sammy went over to Mr. Easterleys to gather greens. Alice says tell Uncle Robbert we have got a real nice _uly jack and it's her too. Our mare has a _ul colt she means tell mother that Eliza Killion was married on Thursday last to John King. Mrs Killion believes in having every thing done when the sign is right. Our Almanac says the sign is in the twins thursday friday and saturday. We made our garden last week I sowed 20 kinds of flowers but I guess they will be no go now. Mrs Killion says be sure abd give her very best respects to you all.

Old Mrs. Williamsons is quite sick and has been for some time. Yes it is her Boy _to_ that is dead and that Eldest girl that you saw at home too. He died up at [Tamaroa?] just above _u_uoin with not a friend near and his wife at home not able to sit up.

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I don't believe you can read half of this and I am going to quit writing entirely. I presume by the time you get this we shall live in another climate entirely. Remember our love to all the relations.