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

FROM: Mother Mary Wood, Mansfield, Pa.

April the 9th 1889

Dear Children

    I will write you A few lines to lett you no whair I am   I am at Mary Noltons today    I reseived your letter last Saturday   Glad to hear that you got thair alive   I thinke that you did well to be on the roade as long as you were   I moved my goods up hear A weeke ago last wensday   I sewed up to Mrs Shaws last weeke   She donte sit up yet   Got my stove set up   This is all   I suppose you have got your paper by this time   Shade sent you one extry   I think those pictures of babys¹ very poor ones   Thay arnte finished good   You dident say hoo was to have them

    I will send her pin after awhile   I cate get to it now   I would have wrote yo sooner   Luty² saide she woude wright to you  Birte³ Mr Barnes payed me that half dolar   I will send some things to baby¹ with it   I wante to know whether your goods got thair all wright or not   Mrs Nolton sais kiss baby a dosen times for her and forty times for me   _____ Clarke baby is very sick with new monie   Did you get Fred⁴ thair or not   Daisey sings lots Helen I wante you to write and lett me no how it looks thair and how you like it    Matie⁵ and Lew is over to Nashes   Thay ar makeing lots of maple sugar this year   I am going to help Mrs Nolton with her carpet rags tomorow and next day and she is going to help me straton my place up a little so that I can stay thair   Mate hasent moved down home yet   Aunt Saley⁶ picked up things enough to keep house with   Ed⁶ told her that she was snooping around as tho she was trying to steal something   I had a letter from Fany since Herb⁷ went home   He got home all right   How tired you and that poor little baby must have ben when you got thair and before   I havent wrote to Mate yet  Charley⁸ came up Sunday after you went away and the (got) bedstid and some other things   Will⁹ was pleased with his overcoate   I cant think of enything more tonight   Wright as soone as you can and as often as you can

    My love to you all from your

    Mother Mary Wood

Direct to Mansfield

Notes from the peanut gallery:

1) The baby is Tessie Viola Stage.

2) Luty is Loutie Thetge (twin of Louie Thetge - author of other letters in this collection).

3) Birte is Albert Jackson Stage (aka Bert).

4) Fred is some manner of bird.

5) Matie is Mary A. Wood, Helen's sister, aka Mate

6) Are Ed and Saley married?  Is Saley = Sally?

7) Fany and Herb are Herbert M. Wood (b. 11-13-1859) and wife Fanny.  Herb is Helen's brother.

8) Charley is Charles A. Wood (b. 9-15-1855), Helen's brother.

9) Will is William H. Wood (b 8-9-1861), Helen's brother.