California, Pa
Jan 25 '79Mr Jos Robbins
My Dear Father
Received the Childrens letter the other day and as they spoke as if you had not heard from me, I thought perhaps my letter I wrote you shortly after I came has been miscarried, as the mail has been very irregular on account of the River being frozen up. I am thankful to say the boats are running again, they began Thursday[.] There is quite a good deal of ice floating in the River yet, but it does not effect the running of the boats. They say it was the largest breakup there has been on this river for a long time. The day it went, we all thought it would go out during the earlier part of the night of course were very anxious to see it, and at every crack we rushed frantically down to River expecting to see it go & carrying along in a grand manner destroying everything in its way, but we were always disappointed and about eleven oclock our enthusiasm began to cool down & we gave it up. I would like to have seen the Yough. [?] go out it must have been a splendid break up.
It was to be expected I was somewhat behind in my classes but am about caught up now, had a very pleasant trip over that day had an hour to wait at Latin Station from the Hack, came over to Fayette in a sled, arrived about noon, took my dinner at the hotell [sic] & got a man to bring me up in a sleigh after dinner. My trip cost me the sum total of three dollars.
I had a letter from Edd [her older brother] a few days ago, has been quite sick has had a very severe cold, & was confined to his room, but was convalescent when he wrote.
Tell the Children I will write to them as soon as I find time. I enjoyed their letters very much. There goes the bell. Let me hear from you.
Aff. Daughter
Gertrude Robbins[The river that runs by California, Pa. is called the Monongahela River today. It doesn't appear to be the name Gertrude wrote in the first paragraph, but I haven't been able to find an older name for the river.]