[There are no paragraph breaks in the original, so I added some for ease of reading]Shelburne, Mass, Nov. 6. 1874.
My dear Sister Martha
I have written two or three times to you and I expect that the letters have been sent ahead [?] of you to India and so when you get there you will hear from home. If I had known how long you were agoing to stay in England I would have tried to have a letter sent to you there but I had so much to do while Ledia was here that I could not get time to write hardly any. The packages you sent came all right all three of them did [?] thank you very much for my part of them but that thing to wear around the neck is too nice to wear with anything I have and then Mother and Clarinda are very much afraid that I shall soil it. Have not tried the gloves on yet but I guess they are large enough.
We are having very pleasant weather now it has been plesant [sic] and warm ever since Delia went away but all the time she was here it was cold and rainy[.] We have not had any rain to speak of for over a month and in some places they are suffering for water but we have plenty yet. Last week John had to fight fire about all the week over in the mountain it got a fire some way they think hunters set it afire and burned [...] fifty acres but there was not much of it in Johns but there would have been if they had not fought it pretty well as it is there has not been much damage done but if it had got well in to Johns wood lot it would have burned up about fifty cords of dry wood for him John and a number of others were up till about midnight for two or three nights fighting fire and he got pretty tired[.]
It has been very smoky and hazy for the last two or three weeks but to day the wind is blowing very hard and has blown the smoke all off and it is clear as a bell[.] Shelburne is pretty quiet just now except that they have either a marriage [?], or a golden or silver wedding every week or so Genie Barrington was married to Charlie Bolling [?] a few weeks ago and this week Clara Morgan was married to Rufus Densmore of Conway she did not make any wedding and only Joe Severance and his wife were invited except the minister and his wife Mr and Mrs Marsh they went to Boston on their bridal tour[.] They were married Tuesday and went right off and are expected back today. They are coming to Shelburne and then are going to Conway tomorrow.
Father is not worse a[s] Delia would have you to suppose he is a good deal better than he has been for a great while, he works all the time and does not seem to be any the worse for it either and his appetite continues good I think he is better than Mother.
Well Martha for the first time in a great many years our old native state has gone democratic electing a democratic Governor and seven out of ten of our representives [sic] to Washington and therefore ensuring the choice of a democratic Senator to Washington [...] what do you think of that The Tribute says that it is Massachusetts voice against Grant, but I think if the truth is known it would be found that it was the lisence party joined with the Democratics to defeat the Phibitory [sic] Republicans and so of course it will give a lisence law to our state of [...] at least, I hope it will be defeated next year when we elect officers again. You may believe that the Democrats crow some over their victory and well they may for it is as great a victory as they have had for a good while.
Nov 7th.
I have had the headache all day to day but as it is Saturday I have had to work about all the time baking and fixing apples to dry. Mother has had to work too for I could not do as much as I could if I had felt well. Father says he has not been out in the rain since Delia went away for the very good reason that there has not been any rain to go out in. I should think that knowing Mother as you do you would have known better than to have been frightened by what Delia said about his going out in the rain for you know he alway[s] was a water bird and always would go out in the rain and never was known to get
wetcold by so doing. he is pretty well now and eats a brick [?] of milk with two slices of bread and four or five baked apples every meal besides some meat and potatoe[s] when we have it or a piece of pie and coke, and I think he is fleshing out some at least he is not growing poor ad he has the fore part of the season[.]Uncle Robert has one of his poor spells no[w] but I do not think he is as bad as he is sometimes for he has not had to take any Physic yet and hope he will not. The rest of the folks are all as well as usual and very busy getting the fall work done and we are having first rate weather to do it up in too. I have cleaned all my part of the house except the kitchen and bedrooms below and shall clean them as soon as the flies get gone[.] They are agoing to have another window put into the bedroom and fix it so we can have a stove in there so we can keep Uncle Robert's bed room warm.
Lafayettes Auction is next Wednesday and after that he is agoing to pack and go west just as soon as he can and I expect it will be pretty soon. He thinks the west is a wonderful place and thinks if everybody should see what he has seen that there would not [be] any one settled down here at the east but I rather think there would be a few folks that would like the east best I am pretty sure I should and while I would like to go west and see the places and get the flowers [?] I know I should rather live in the east I dont ever expect to find a place that I like as well as this dear old home on the side hill and I dont believe that any place will look quite as good to me as this does. And my home will be here if God permits as long as Father, Mother and Uncle Robert lives. [?] after that if I live I dont know where it will be, but I am not agoing to worry for I think that there will be a home perfected [?] for me if I only to do my duty.
Hattie is up here to night and she says tell you that she will write to you just as soon as she can get any paper to write on. Our school has commenced Miss Boyden teaches it it is to continue through the winter Tyler is to work for us this winter. Thornton will be of age in December and after that he is to work for Daniel Bardwell I believe. I have written all the news I can think of and so I shall have to stop and bid you good night with much [love] from your affectionate Sister