ADDRESSED TO: Mr. A.J. Stage, Mt. Sterling, Madison Co., Ohio

FROM: Mother, M.E. Wood

Mansfild    January the 30    1890

Dear Childern

I recieved your welcom letter last night   Was glad to hear from you and to hear that you was all well   It did not finde me very well but better than I have bin   I have had the grip and grab to I gess   A weeke ago last Saturday I wente to Ant Jessey Smiths¹   She had the grip and I stayed untill a weeke ago tonight   I came home sick soaked my feete and wente to bed   Felt better in the morning   Friday night Mrs Jake come and stayed all night and I gott up in the morning in the cold and gott her breakfast   Had my hands in cold water and before noon I had a chill   Emma Rundle came over at noon or I donte no what I should have don  Send for the doctor  He came Saterday Sunday and Monday   He said that I wanted someone that could wate on me not someon that I had to wate upon   I wente down stairs today for the first time since a weeke tomorrow   Edd Swan has brought me wood and water and Bessey Strait has stayed with me nights   Sunday night Emm and Ed stayed with me untill nine oclock and the rest of the knight thair was a Seely girl stayed with me   Mrs Strait has ben real good to me and all the rest of the folks   Mrs Knolton was hear day before yesterday and stayed all day with me and baked me some bread   Las night Kate Orson and Helen was up   Kate said she dident no that I was sick untill the day before   She brought me a can off blackberys and fride cakes and ginger snaps   You needent wory about me   I have enought to eat but it is so lonesome hear alone   Mrs Thetgay was hear Monday   She said that Luty² was sick   I havent hurd from her since   It is real sickley hear now   This disease comes like a cold but it hangs on so long and it leeves on with a cough   I donte cough as hard as i do sometimes   I hope that you wonte have the grip out thair   I gott both off your letters the one that wente to Yorke state and the one that had Mrs Frosts letter in   I am afraid that Will is dead   Someone has killed maybe³   O dear I wish we could hear from him   I hainte hurd from Kates⁴ folks since I was thair   I send Edy a letter last night and one to Herbs⁵ folks today   I had a leter from Fanney⁶ to weeks ago   The old lady was sick and Homer came home sick that night from school   Herb was away to woorke   She said that Herb has a hors and would come after me if it come eny kinde off going but I cante stant it thair in the smoke   I am glad to hear that Birts mother is better   Thair is lotts of folks getting pensions now but I donte hear from mine yet   You wanted to no what buter and eggs was   Butter is 20cts   Eggs 15   Potatoes 60 cts   I havent hurd from Mate⁷ but once since I was thair   She had had the grip   I cante think of mutch to wright to night but O how I wish that I could see you all   I wante to see Tessy⁸ so bad that I donte no whate to do   She wonte seeme like a baby when I see her again   You donte say whether you have weaned her or not   If I live till spring i shall come pension of not if it takes all the mony I have gott   I cante write eny more now   The peper can tell you more news than I can wright   I donted no as you can read this   Helen I wante you to wright often as you can    Goodby for this time   Love to yo all from your Mother.

This pice is an apron that Em Rundle gave me   It is woorked a quarter of a yard deep in stars and checks   She made her mother one to.

Notes from the peanut gallery:

1) I wish I had some clue as to who this is.

2) Loutie Thetge

3) Will Wood is still alive (at this point) but if my mom was this insecure, I wouldn't write often either..

4) Kathryn (Wood) Reynolds

5) Herbert Wood

6) Fanny Torpey Wood, Herb's wife

7) Mary A. Wood

8) Tessie Stage