Chapinville Oct 5th 1845
Dear Nelia
As it is a rainy sabbath and we can not attend meeting I think that I can not better employ myself than by writing to a friend that I most dearly love you can not tell how lonely I am without you what am I a going to do without seeing you untill [sic] January O I can not stand it but I suppose you will say! well then sit it but Nelia if you do not say anything to console me more than that I shall do myself up in a letter and come and see you but perhaps they would think the mail bag rather heavy but that can be easily got a long with tell them that it is a large present going to Hadely [sic] and then you know that it would be all right but. I guess that I shall not do myself up in this letter I will wait untill I write another for I want to be at Home so as to see the girls when they get Home which will be day after to morrow or rather. Tuesday we should go after them Monday but Father has got to go away and so we have them stay one day more which I suppose they will like Poor little John he is as lonely as I am at least he goes around the room with his little hand up to his face and then says all gone all gone the other day he would not be satisfied untill your Mother carried him up stairs all around in your room and then he saw that you were not there he called Helia Helia and because you did not answer he he was willing to go down I went over on an errand Thursday and he was determined to go home with me so I took him and he staid two or three hours as contented as little soul could be then Saturday he went to the back gate and cried to have his Mother let him come over to see us so she brought him over and he staid about as long as before when the first we knew she came over after him and said that she would not have all of her children gone for she is so very lonely I go over and see her every once in a while to cheer her up if in my power
Andrew has had a sad accident happen to him since you left that is he got up in his sleep I suppose dreaming of walking with you and fell down stairs and put two of his fingers out of joint but I rather think that he found out you were not there by the time he got to the bottom they are very much swolen [sic] but I beleive [sic] getting some better since he replaced the joint he never gets up in his sleep unless unwell or troubled in mind your leaving accounts for the whole I think you had better come back or something worse may happen
Well Nelia I have concluded not to go Home with Sarah for I like home too well
Home Home sweet sweet Home
There is no place like Homeperhaps you did not think so before you left but I imagine you think so now
School was out Saturday and what did you think they got for presents well all of the large girls got one of those little boxes that looks so much like a book Jane Mrs E H's and C Hollisters had glasses in and they did appear to feel proud enough of them dont [sic] you wish that you could have had one well you must come and go to school and be a good girl and then perhaps you can have one I should not had [sic] one if I had gone and then I might have cried and fright[ened] them so that they would run home I think [...] I did not go I think that I had better [...ness] and go to bed as I have been writing [...] light in my bedroom until I am so cold [tha]t I might freeze so good night dear Nelia
Good morning I have passed a miserable nights rest with a severe pain in my stomache probably from the effects of my being so foolish but I hope that I shall be able to finish this and not have so much foolishness in it but you will excuse me I am sure for you have lived by me long enough to know that I am just such a foolish thing
Tell Hatty that cousin N. Allen is married and a company of them have gone to Boston from thence to Providence and back by the way of New York they will probably have a very pleasant time the girls were [invited] to the wedding I suppose we have not heard a word from them since they left
The night that I bid you good bye I went home and wrote I Morehouse a long letter telling her how lonesome I was
Adelaid Beecher is a preparing to go to New Haven to school this fall Jane thinks that she is going to be left all alone but I told her her turn would come soon enough
Now C when you get this scrawl you will pleas [sic] to write me a long letter telling me all about your school and all the news
Give my love and a kiss to H and tell her not to forget Lona H must kiss you for me I should much rather do it myself but as I can not I must get some one to act my part
We are all well and send much love to you both write soon but excuse this as it is from your affectionate friend
Lona