John Rice letter to Celestia Colby 26 Jul 1892

Cherry Valley, July 26/92 Dear Sister I presume you are looking everry day for a letter from me and all the excuse I can give for not writing is a lack of ambition It has ben a verry busy season with us for we had our barn to tare down and rebuild before we could do our haying and it rained so much it hindered A good deal But we got it done in time for haying and I have got my haying done and my Wheat in the Barn so it takes some of the anxiety of my mintit mind Cara School closed the Sixteenth with a picknick in our

[dare?] yard thare ware Seventy old and young presant they had a pleasant time Cirliss in fact A Birth day party the same day But we did not know of it till it was to late to put of the picnick So thare was ware none of us to it now we have not heard how it went of Thare was A Birth day Party at Horace Spencers the fifth of this month and we got a Bid to tend it but It was so far of and so hot Mother that she could not go We have had A hired Girl all Summer till last Saturday and now Cora School is out we are agoing to try and git along without one as long as Cora is at home the directors whare she has taught for the last two terms ware here last

night and trid hard to have her consent to go back and teach four month more But she would not go She has also gave up going West this fall But is going to [Newlgime?] to School She entends now to go to School for one year Before She teaches again She is pretty much tired out teaching Our Boys are all of them working out this week But Lee and Branch habe to come home to do the chores they are at work on the next farm south of us We had the worst Storm Sunday Night that we have had it was one continual glare of Lightning and rand awfull We had A tub Setting out in the yard whare thare could not any watter git into

it only what rained in to it and it was half full in the morning so you can see it raind My health is better than it was two wee hrs ago But still I am quite weak. I got run down quite low We got A new doctor he anelise my watter and he said I had the Sugar diabeetz in the worst form and that he nor any other doctor could cure me but that he could give me medison that would check it and would prolong life and so he comes once a week and leaves me medison and I am felling quite smart for me Old Mrs Piper died last Night She is aunt to Earl Piper She has ben helpless for over one year you must over look mistakes for my Pen it not [alware?] write what I am thinking of Pleas excuse J B RIce