cam_Helen_B017_F003_002D

known of any one else I should not wished to see him enter the Kitchen
again as I found it in such a dirty state hardly a dish clean and evry [every]
Kettle & pot dirty you need never talk of dirt at your house it seems
to me I never saw any before – When Scippio left I went in and scoured
and cleaned all out & put evrything [everything] up and now it is worse than
before as this man is so dirty and careless – he gets things on the table in
good style and there is no appearance of dirt there and I hope there is
not much in the victuals. We have evry thing [everything] nice to cook with as at
home and as great a variety we get all Kinds of vegetables here from Stockton
even Sweet potatoes we hav [have] had of late – Green apples we do not hav [have] – We
now can get plenty of eggs milk one man has brought it in to us
twice a week at 35 cts [cents] per quart usual price 30 cts [cents] but there are a number
of cows nearer as now one family lately come [comes] in with 3 or 6. I suppose they
will sell at the same – We have a good many hens and plenty of eggs,
some little chickens and expecting a good many more in a few weeks –
The Country around us looks fine & Spring like the earth is carpeted with grass
& flowers which spring up evry where [everywhere] the hillsides look like flower beds –
I hav [have] had boquets [bouquets] on my table for a month past – they are of great variety
and verry [very] pretty – One circumstance I must not fail to write you a call
I recd [received] about a fortnight since from two German ladies you Know I wrote
you of some Dutch families who had moved in here Dutch I heard, they
call themselves Germans, however Dutch or German, they seem like very
pleasant well disposed persons – previous to their call I recd [received] several
messages through G & others relative to a child belonging to one of the families
which they wanted to Know if I would teack [teach] English – so they came to see about
it Mr & Mrs Pickley hav [have] charge of her she is a niece of theirs I think they
hav [have] adopted her Mr P. is a Frenchman a very gentlemanly sort of a man he
is verry [very] anxious she should receive some education and in English he speaks
English verry [very] well his wife tolerably so I can understand most of what she
says, the child is 10 years old large as most of 12 she seems like a pleasant
goodnatured girl and I think would learn readily she can understand
most of what is said but speak but little English – I told them I would
think of it and let them Know after a week G & myself concluded to go
and to tell them we would take her for a while – they wish her to board with
us go home occasionally as she will learn much more where she is obliged
to hear & speak Eng. [English] at home generally they talk Ger. [German] – We shall charge
$5. per week for her board half price that however is no matter of mine as
that is paid to the firm of "Riley & Ly" but the tuition bill will be my legal earning
G. thinks I ought to charge $5 per week for my trouble it seems too much to me
her Aunt is to hav [have] all the care of her clothes washing & &c. [etc. etc.] – they did not demur
at the price of board and I presume would not at the price of tuition Mr P. said I
must charge whatever I thought proper I told him I did not Know what to say
as I did not Know the prices of tuition here of common schools even of course she
will be some trouble to me but if we get paid for it I am willing to take charge
of her – I suppose She will come this week – I shall hav [have] to commence like learning
the alphabet to any little child – she has been to a German school – her name is Sophia
they call her Sophy quite familiar to me – Well when I commenced writing I had
no idea of filling the sheet but find I hav [have] with such as it is I think my callers
revived me a little as I feel brighter –