February 12, 1865

Letter from Sarah E. Andrews to James A. Andrews, February 12, 1865
Hudson, Wis. St. Croix Co.

Feb. 12th [1865]

No. 51

Dear Brother,

We received (or rather Charlie did) a letter from you yesterday; it was short, but welcome. You do not write to us what you have to do in your new position. Do you have to drill or be out on guard? Where do you sleep? Write everything about it. We are all so anxious to know all about it.

It looks like snow. We have had very pleasant weather indeed with a little snow the sleighing would be fine, I think. We were all out to church this morning, the house was full. The Baptist will either have to build a larger house or prevail upon Mr. Ke[e]ley not to preach such good sermons. I wish that we could have a larger house. I think if we had we would have a large congregation all the time.

Mary, Ceal and I visited up to Uncle John's yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. [L. P.] Wetherby, Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson Dwight, and C. L. Hall, and their wives were there. Alfred Halls people were invited but were not there. We had a very pleasant visit.

Friday night the Irving Club had a festival. I should think they had a fine time as they could talk of nothing else yesterday. I should liked to have been there if MY husband had only been a member I could have gone.

Old Mr. P. . . died very suddenly yesterday morning. He fell down in the street near the court house; he died before they could get a Dr. there. It was probably
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apoplexy. His loss will not be felt. It was much better for him to die than live. He probably would never have repented. He was a very wicked man, and one that was always drunk I suppose.

I don't know of a thing to write -- you will feel that I am painfully dull today. I can't help it. I knew before I commenced writing I couldn't write anything so I am not at all disappointed but fear you will be.

I was going down to the P. O. the other day with a letter and three packages of papers for you. I met Mr. [Allan] Dawson, he took them and saw who they were directed to, and said something about my writing to you. I said that I generally wrote three times a week; and the rest of the family wrote as often as they could. He said "poor boy, what a tax it must be on him." I fear you really do find some of my letters a heavy tax for I have written a good many when I did not feel unusually right. I hope you will consider him worthy of a reply.

Why don't Frank answer Ceal's letter. I guess he did not think much of it. Is he steady? Write soon to

Sister Sarah