Hoyaneburgh March 8
Dear Sister
We have waited anxiously for a long time, to hear from you but have waited in vail. As I feel every day more unable to sit and write (added above)..I thought I would write with a little now thinking sickness or some other cause might be the reason of your not writing. I have no news to *** that would interest you. We have struggled along threw the winter as best we could so far but our prospects for the spring are so poor that Wm has talked quite strong of breaking up our family and I am anxious to do the best I can for my children. It is hard to tell in our circumstances what is best. If we could have heath (health) it would not take me ling to decide what is best but good health is something that one is share of and we have but little. Wm was laid up after about a week. Since then our necesities compelled him to chop wood or anything that he could do to obtain the necessities of life. The last of January he choped a few days and has not been well since has had another sore, but not so bad as the first and for the last three or four weeks he has had a very lame back and a severe pain in his left side so mich so that Edgar had to cut and draw on a hand sled. The largest share of our wood that we have burned and he and Oscar have cut the most of it up. He keeps about but look very poorly and cannot do anything that is hard and I tell him he must get his living by his head instead of his hand. He feels almost discouraged I do not wonder, for I am no help but I have one consolation and that is I have tried to do the best I could for my family under all circumstance that have been my constant aim. And if I ever needed a home and a chance for my life it is now but whatever is before me I must try to bear with patience. But as a burned child dreads the fire, so I dread the prospects before me and to be bought to the place I have been when I am helpless I hope it will never be my lot again.
I do not wish you to think that I am complaining for this it is not my intention nor I never did mean to but perhaps I have but could you know and feel what I have for the last five or six years you would not blame for saying what I have. But you could not know unless by experience (Which I hope you will never chance). I have had no help and no prospects of any and it would be useless to tell you how much I need some. Write as soon as you receive this.
The children are in usual heath they were very much disappointed when your children did not come and have talked about it ever since. I hope you will excuse the mistakes and bad writing for I think I never wrote with more difficulty. Write without fail when you receive this letter.
From your sister Martha G Baldwin