Carlisle May 30 1864
Dear Sister Mary

Mother received your letter today and desires to answer it immediately so she came up to get me to write for her. You speak of writing to me. I received your letter with the shirt and am more obliged than I can tell you and am ashamed that I have delayed so long in replying it was not intentional I talked of writing every day. I am getting ready to go down to Harrys fathers as soon after commencement as possible which will be in 4 weeks and I have much to do also a brothers widow from Philad. is visiting us and expects to stay until we go down which also makes me have less time for letter writing. We are greatly relieved to hear from Frank we were so anxious and hope he may be safely kept through all the dangers which beset his path I know how anxiously you feel.

I hope you will have favorable news from your brothers soon Marcus is growing to be a big fat boy weighed 19 lbs a month ago and fills up his shirt pretty well I wear knit [wasted?] ones on him but the one you sent will be a nice keepsake to remember Aunt Mary by. He has taken a slight cold and is a little fretful today He will be six months old on the 15 of June. Mother says she was very glad to hear from you as she has received so few of the letters you have sent and hopes you will write often as she likes so hear about you. Hanna expects to be home in 3 or 4 weeks I do not know whether she expects to go back again or not but rather expect she will. she talks of bringing some of her schoolmates with her. Mollie is right well again she has been complaining more or less all summer. Ms is proceduring a little now for Dr Harman We have had the lot’s little graves fixed up and think of having a wooden fence put around it & stones in the fall if money is more abundant I planted some flowers on them a few weeks ago

Tuesday 31st May

I did not get finishing my letter last evening as company came in This house has been sold and we will have to move by Spring I am so sorry for the longer I stay here the better I like it.

Beccie has a hard time with her baby it has hernia and cries day & night We will go down tomorrow if Marvin seems better & nothing prevents We had Marvin baptized on last Wednesday He is a dear good baby and behaved so nicely

Enclosed I send you a picture we had taken off of a Daguerreotype of father It is not good but I think it is the best we can do I am sorry we cannot have one that looks more like him The place where mother lives is sold too it brought $6000 Penrose from Carlisle bought it Kate was up a little while yesterday she said they received a paper from California containing a paragraph that brother James is seriously ill his life was despaired of we are anxiously waiting for a letter

The Soldiers Aid Society of Middlesex of which Kate & Lou are active members are going to hold a Strawberry festival on the 11th of June at the Poor house Barn or rather a better term would be the County Barn Millers & Zugs are well Zugs have sold their farm & mill too I dont know what they expect to do Harry has written to Joe three times and received no reply tell him to write & tell him the news I have written here Write us a long letter & tell us all about yourself How is your health? when is the fete to come off you have never told me Baby Marion sends auntie a kiss Harry sends lots of love Write before we go away which will be about the 1st week in July we may be gone until the 1st of August or longer In much love

affectionately your Sister
Jennie C. Cheston

Kate says I shall tell you the reason she has not written before is she wanted to have a Photograph taken & give you in return for yours she will let you hear from her soon She send love

I forgot to tell you Miss Sarah Stuart sends much love