So. H. Falls Feby 10 1889
My Dear Bro -
I am about to do the very thing I have intended to accomplish a long time since and because I have waited patiently so long expecting every day I should hear from someone of your family or some one who knew there was such a family in Greenwich. But I have look'd daily for an answer to the 2 last letters I wrote to you but no response as yet. =
I am always so glad to hear from my native land land of my birth and childhood although many of the ties have been cut assunder [sic] yet there [are] many left that I love to remember with pleasure =
And what a change going back 65 or 70 yrs of our lives ... How is this ... remember back 65 or 70 yrs Can it be possible Yes it is true although I can hardly realize it - I can remember what transpired when I was, say from 7 to 15 yrs old better than that of last year =
And right here I will speak of one or two incidents when I was between 7 & 8 yrs old. (Now you will probably remember this) Father went down to Enfield to mill I think. You know I loved to be riding or driving horses or oxen. - Well I thot I would be boss on the farm this afternoon so I got those great big oxen into the yard and got that great yoke and began my 3/4 or an hours Job (for I think it must have taken me an hour to get on the yoke & hitched on to the Cart) here I must tell you how I got the cart tongue into the ring[.] I got a Shortish board and raised it onto that and then one long enough to fetch up to ring and then backed the oxen so the tongue would slip into the ring put in the pin now ready to start for the 20 acre lot after pine knots and I got a good load of them didn't I feel proud of my afternoons work. -
Just one more and that will be all this time =
Father was making Cider up to Mr Bond mill and he had some put up in barrels ready to bring home I think he had one barrel in the Cart and you know what a steep hill going down to the pond[.] Somehow I got that barrel started down the hill towards the pond I started ahead of the barrel to keep it out of the pond for I supposed surely that barrel of cider was a goner. It is a wonder I was not killed at the time =
Now Bro you may think I am silly in writing to you about these incidents - But when I look back upon my past long life and think how the Lord has led me and how many narrow escapes from sudden death I feel had I thousands tongues they should all be praising the Lord for the way he has led me
We are all usually well Irving & Ida are getting along nicely with their sweet little baby most 8 months old 8 months the 21st of Feby it is just as pretty a little Girl as you ever look at She is just 78 years younger than her Grandpa born 21 day June 1888 and I have 2 Great Grandchildren born in January Hattie Eaton boy & Carrie Bowker boy. Genias family all well as far as I know. George Parmelee was here a week or two ago he said they were all doing well down to Suffield - - -
Now Bro F. don't foget [sic] to write me and tell us how you are getting along - What a beautiful winter we have had so far, and the winter months are most gone I have had some cold otherways my heath [sic] has been good this winter.
Love from all to all from
your Bro. J. M. [Janson Miller] Alden[The clue that the letter writer was born in 1810 helped narrow down which sibling this was.]