Kirtland Ohio August 13 1838Dear Sister

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I now embrace the opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you of my health which is verry good at present and hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessing I should have wrote to you before this time if I had known where to have wrote but I did not know whether you was at Craftsbury or Johnson or some other place until I received a letter from Brother Shepard and he wrote that you was at Craftsbury so I [have] taken the first opportunity of writing to you I arrived here the 21st of last April and found Cousin Josiah and family well his family consist of three sons & three daughters he is in verry comfortable circumstances has his farm payed for and a good framed house and barn on it I think this country is a verry good and healthy country and easier for a person to get a living in then where you are tell Clarke that I think that he might do better here than he can where

he is but shall not advise him contrary to his own wishes give my love to Mother and tell her I should be verry glad to see her likewise to Brother Clark & Sister Susan likewise to little Mary & Cornelius I wish you would write to me on the reception of this all you know about any of my friends at the east Cousin Josiah and family send their respects to Mother and Sister Susan & family tell Mother that she might obtain a pension for five years if she was married previous to 1794 give my love to Carseldana Verona & Lyman Cousin Josiah wishes if you should know any thing about any of his folks that you would write concerning them he had a letter from Ruth this summer and she wrote that [Rebeckah] had started for the Ohio but they have not arrived here as yet and he has not heard any thing from them and he feels concerned about them give my love to Andrew and tell him to remember me to his fathers family

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give my respects to all enquiring friends if I have any in the vicinity I expected Brother Shepard on this spring he told me when I started that he should start the first of last May but he did not write why he did not come he wrote to me to describe the country to him but I have not answered his letter as yet he wrote that if I thought it best he would come out here and if he should you may ask Mother if she would be willing to come out here and live if I should conclude to stay here you had better persuade it to get out of that cold region for there is a better place than that the country which I past in the State of New York is beautiful to behold please to write to me all the news that you have on hand I have no more to write to you at present and so I must draw to a close by subscribing myself

your affectionate BrotherLemuel Colton

tell Sister Susan that I will write to her soon & should be verry happy to have her write to me

direct yours to Kirtland [Geauga] County Ohio

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Miss Ruth ColtonCraftsburyVermontKirtland [     ]August 14