Dear Sister
I received your kind letter tonight - was very glad to hear from you, and freely pardon your seeming neglect, and think I can appreciate the motive, that ?? you to delay writing as of your troubles. Although we would gladly sympathize with you in your affliction as I think you do in ours, but you do not know by experience what it is to have the hard hand of adversity added to your other trouble. And I hope you never will. Your offer of a place we gratefully received and want very much to embrace the opportunity it presents, that of securing a home where we shall not be obliged to more every year or oftener as has been the case for the last two years but how we can get there I do not know, we have not a dollar of our own around now, and do not know as it will be possible for us to get enough to get there for this reason I though it best to write to you now and let you know our mind, and then see what we can do and then give you a decided answer which I think we shall be able to do next week. I wish you to write immediately on the receipt of this and let us know whether you have met with anything to disarrange the plan you propose, and I will answer it and let you know what to depend upon on our part. I am very anxious do take a ?? that will secure me at least a hope of keeping family together while I live on in other words while we are all blest with life and a modest share of health but I have added to the constant anxiety and care of my family the certainty of being obliged to separate them if anything of the same nature (or any other misfortune) that has fell to our lot for the last few years should again be our portion. It is useless for me to attempt to give you a complete idea of my situation within the limits of a letter and I forbear and will hope the time may not be for distant when we shall meet face to face with I hope ?? - I will close by talking to you that our family are all in usually health. My health is very poor and I it always will be.
I am glad it is as well you as it is hope when hear again from you. I hear you are enjoying health you and your family. Excuse mistakes, I am very tired and my hand is very sore. From your sister
Martha J Baldwin
Wednesday night 11 o'clock
Envelope addressed to
Mrs Synthia H Baldwin
Potsdam
St Lawrence Co NY
Postmarked Tunbridge, VT