RK-511

Home, Wednesday 11 A.M. March 31st [circled] 159

Dear Bob - I have finished my mail. and may as well write you a line, as I am not feeling well enough to work.

Charlie came, in the stage, yes=terday - and Frank returned in it, and brought Willie Chandler - also sick - So we have two of them, - and mother and the girls have just got the 4th break=fast, this morning - First for Lawrence & man. at half past 4 o'clock - as we got off 2 loads of trees this morning, and Uncle Flint, Mother & I have been up since 4 A.M. - One of the hired girls has left - neither worth a strand - Stupid, beyond all precedent, and still wanting men's wages, - and not a word of Eng=lish, in the best one - Mother and the girls will have to sweat it out, and perhaps fret a little, until some good thing "turns up".

[in the margin, circled] 160

The Major has a bad cough, head ache and loss of appetite - Still he works pretty steadily, but is as cross and cranky as well can be - beats me in the first, and all out doors in the second peculiarity; and yet the boy feels right, and means right, and really tries, hard, to do right - or what he deems right- and I must try and put up with his eccentricities, for the sake of all concerned -

We are getting on just tolerably well- about a week behind hand, with the bills (orders) on hand; and shall have to put off the planting & farm work till we get a lull in the sales - We are paying some debts, with trees, and Uncle Asa is a large customer - equal to twenty or 30 of the ordinary sort - His bill will be $200, at least. Uncle Hiram is also taking trees - and we expect Uncle Joseph, Upon the whole, therefore, we are getting off a lot of stuff - whether profitably, or not, is yet to be seen.

(3d [circled] 161

I will bear your idea of a State appropriation in mind. "Professor Werthern" - the new State Geologist, I see, by the news papers, has removed to Springfield - So address him there - "Werthern" is the name, I think -

Frank is not so well as before he went to town - "Shits blood" this morning - He is a careless fellow - The weather is warm and looks like rain - the neighbors are sowing grain - and we ought to be -

I am standing the hard work pretty well -

Old Father

P.S The children cant find the seeds you mention - but will continue to look for them.