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Otsego August 28th 1855Dear and respected Aunt

After a long lapse of time I again take my pen in hand to direct a few lines to inform you that I am well at present and hope these few lines if they reach you will find you and yours enjoying the same blessing I had ought to apologise for not writing to you sooner than this but at present I can say no more than to tell you that other things have demanded my attention so that I cannot find time to write to any one This is the first that I have written for three months--Verona and her husband are in comfortable health at the present time and send their love to you Father left us about the middle of June on a trip to the East he wrote to us on his arrival at Unkle Zebinas and promised to write again at Vt and we think it is nearly the time for us to hear from him and we want to hear from you too and if you have a few minutes to spare please direct a few lines to us and tell us how you are getting along tell us whether Father has arrived or not we want to hear from him try as soon as possible If he does not will you tell us how he likes the rocks and hills of old Vermont

(Tis to change sides with the paper so I will change pens and try to improve my hand or make it worse I am out of practice) Perhaps you would like to know something of the state of affairs [  ] In regard to the crops our wheat is first harvested and I think that it is as general thing rather light corn at the present time looks very well and there is a prospect of a good crop oats are very good Potatoes tolerable good other vegetables in good condition Fruit Apples plenty Pears a few Peaches very scarce Plums and Cherries none at all_Climate It Is has been quite sickly in some parts of the country and though we have thus far enjoyed good health others around us have suffered and some are now suffering from sickness: there has been several cases of the Typhoid Fever in our vicinity and there is now one or two of the spotted Fever and ditto for the Billious Fever some Ague and other Billious Diseases of no account. This comprises all that we can hear of sickness in different parts of the country. - Unkle L and his family are all well - Will you write to us as soon as you can and tell us all about our relations that live anywhere within the scope of your present correspondence dont think because we call no names that we want any left out for we do not, Tell us also about some of the old neighbors - Tell Mary that a communication from her would be gladly received eagerly perused and promptly responded to. the same to Cornelius and Levi Give our love to all enquiring friends remember me at at a throne of grace

Good byeL.S. Colton

Direct to Alvarody Post Office

Since writing this we have heard from Father Lyman S. Colton