Harriet (McNeil) Pepple - February 16, 1873 - Toledo, OH

Toledo O Feb 16nth 1873

Dear Sister

I have been thinking all winter about writing to you but have let the time slip by without doing it and now I will try on this stormy afternoon to write you a few lines. We are about as well as we ever are Jared & Ella have both got a head ache and I am lazy I guess I feel very much like going to sleep and Kate is not at home she is in Granville going to school she was not feeling very well when I heard from her last She was 18 years old last Sunday does it seem possible that my girls should be so old Ella was 21 on her last birth day it seems such a short time since they were babies.

I suppose you recieved a box from Angie and I last week I sent it on the 7nth I thought it would be better to send it directly to you for the roads might be bad and Oscar could not bring it to you very well the waterproof I thought would about fit Maggie it was Kates and it was too small for her the rest of the things you can divide up among you as they are the most needed I would like to have sent you more things from the shop but the box was too small to put any thing more in

I suppose Jane Smith told you I was in Coshocton last fall. I spent most of my time in Orangeville with Mrs Evans Jared oldest sister she is in poor health we had a letter last week she is just about as she was when Jane was there.

I could see a great many changes since you left there the House that you lived in was burned down and there is nothing left to show your work but the fruit trees and they was full that is the apple trees I thought how much comfort Chapin would have taken with his fruit if was there and the old brick school house has been torn down so that it dont seem very much like it used to [unintelligible] House looks so shabby not much like it used too [sic] the front yard was full of weeds and every thing else accordingly but [unintelligible] was just the same every thing just as it used to be even Smith & [unintelligble] Jerry Evans said I must tell Hannah that Smith was waiting for her and he thought she had better look after her interests Nancy’s Daughter keeps house for the Boys Phebe has gone East to live with her husband I must bring this to a close I hope you will write to me soon I want to hear from you and hear how you are getting along tell Hannah to write too we had a visit from Cousin Hellens oldest daughter this winter and George McNeil Harrisons Son he has got to be quite a man we enjoyed their visits very much they were here durring the Hollidays and just after they went home George McNeil from Akron Brother Georges Son was here and staid most two weeks we had a very pleasant time with him. Tell Marcia she must write to me I want to hear from you all and I hope you will try and write often we all join in sending love to you all Angie is well or was when I saw her last

from your loving sister

H. A. Pepple