To: Lucy May Briggs
From: Hattie Buckland, Gardner. June 11th 1882

Dear Sister May

And all the rest of you ave received your letter wednesday. I thought it was about time for some of you to put in an appearance. I had just been givering the Briggse’s fits for not writing. “don’t you wait so long again” We are getting quite well now. dear little baby has been sick with the measles, or at least the Dr said it was measles but where she got them we don’t know. her nor I have never been away from the house yet, but she was broke out as bad as Etta was. they show some on her yet when she gets warm she was real sick one day the rest of the time she would worry. but she is over them now I guess a little cross yet. she weighs ten pounds haint that a pretty good baby for seven weeks old. we think so at least. we are haveing very nice weather now and every thing is looking nice if nothing happens now we will have a splendid crop. all the srubs Pa sent are growing nicely the currants especialy almost every one is growing, and all the rosebushes but one and that I guess is alive at the roots. the plants did’nt do so well only four of them lived the balm geranium and the three crythanthems they are all nice. the gladiolas are more than a foot high. I have three beautiful geraniums though and a hanging basket of creeping charley. they belong to Mrs Sanders when her husband early this spring with their car load of things he said he would leave them with me until Mrs Sanders came. but they have neve come after them yet and their house is so small I don’t know as they will. one of the geraniums came from old Alexander Mitchell’s garden so you see they are nice. I have started slips and when I come home “which will be immediately after harvest” I will bring you some slips. We had a real good old wisconsin visit with Aunt Mary wednesday heard all about the Blufftonites what they were all doing “ect,” she said she thought Manie had got over feeling bad about Moseley.. he “Moseley” has got a little girl two months old.. what do you think of that for cheese.. I tell you we are living sweet now days we have got the maple sugar that our Vermont Pa sent us come over a whole load of you and we will sugar off. “be shure and fetch Albert for he likes it so well” Tell Charley and Annie that I think of them forty times a day if I haven’t answered their letters “I will soon I hain’t felt able to write or I should have done so long ago. I knead a dose of ambition powders to wake me up I am getting to be a regular old grunt. tell Willie that little Nellie was awful glad for them kiss’es he sent her. she would kiss him if she could see him she can laught and talk now says “goo” when you talk to her. we have got twenty-two little chickens that is all the little things we have got except the baby. I am getting tierd so I will bid you good bye for this time. love to all.
Write soon.
Hattie Buckland

Monday morning. haint Pa comeing to see us I have been looking for him this long time. tell Mate I will try and write her a better letter next time that last one was an awful looking thing. how I would like to come home and see how nice you look all cleaned up and painted. it will be a year thursday since I was home who ever thought I could stay so long, “Oh dear” but I would have been home before this time if I had been well.

take good care of your selves, and write often to your loving Sister

Hat.