Transcribe Fenn, Robert. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1855-11)

how we could have got along at all without her assistance, but she couldn't quite supply Mother's place after all. There are few families I think who are blessed with so affectionate and faithful a Mother, and fewer to which a Mothers superintending care is more necessary. Joe as he grows older, as a very natural consequence, grows worse and from his increased strength becomes more difficult to manage. In consequence of Mother's absence and sickness he has run wild pretty much all summer and we now find it very hard to restrain him. Besides this he has grown very irritable of late getting into a furious passion on the least provocation and pounding his head most unmercifully. If he should live and increase in strength for ten years longer I can't conceive how we will ba able to control him. but I suppose the future will determine that as it does every thing </s est > else. Aunt Belle has been quite unwell for some time past first she had one of Job's comforters whispering in his ear. On this trouble sub- siding all one side of her face broke out with the erysiphalus. She however has now very nearly recovered from both. Father in consequence of his customary imprudence caught a very severe cold last week which came within an ace of resulting in an attack of inflammation of the lungs to which he is predisposed. As it was he was laid up for three or four days with sore throat and rheumatism but by timely attention he escaped without anything more serious. Sam who is the only able bodied member of the family is still engaged on the enlargement of the State Ditch. He is at present stationed at Lyons where he has been since last January. He comes home every Saturday returning on Monday. I had hoped he would have been able to obtain a situation on this residency so that I might have more of his company, but this was found to be impossible as there were more applicants than vacancies. He has done remarkably well for his first year having saved about 225 dollars over and above expenses. besides having acquired a thorough knowledge of the initial </s of> parts of his profession. I have several times requested him as well as Bill Bristol to write to you which however they have never seen fit, or as they doubtless would inform you, seen time. I will endeavor to induce the former of these to append a few lines to this. I am happy to inform you that Bill's health is very much improved and he bids fair to escape at least for the present. becoming a victim to consumption. Having become nauseated with literary pursuits, he has thrown them up entirely and taken to farming.