p.

a can of Syrup thicker than is usually
made for market, & [also?] 50 or 75[lb?] of [it?]
quality of Sugar. Shall expect to pay a
proportionately extra price - We are in no
hurry for them & can wait till thou or some
other of the family visits us, which I
hope will be long before we shall really need
the other sweets.

Thou asks how we have got through the
winter? - First rate, as the boys say. The winter
has been so uniformly mild, with a few
short exceptions, that it seems as if we
have had no winter & got tho sleighing
has been the best & of the longest con-
tinuance we ever knew for so little snow.
Our french Mary is still with us & though not
exactly what we need is, perhaps as good as
we shall be likely to find, so we Endeavor
to be content. What most interests us just
now & what, I think, thou will be glad to
hear, is that we have sold our lake
wood lot of 73.95/160 acres for $100 per acre
which, if not [?] (& I trust it will

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not be), will put us quite clear of debt
& something left, I am to go to [Rat?]
tomorrow to receive the purchase money
$7358.37[/c?] - Isn't thou glad, that, so unex-
pected an occurrence, as to be out of debt,
has happened to us? We did not need
this lot, having sufficient wood for fuel
without it, & lying some 3 miles from
the house & subject to pilfering & [exposed?]
to loss by fires, & wholly unproductive
to us at present, I feel greatly relieved
by the Sale. I may add ([underline]to thee[/underline]) without
wishing to boast that we have quite enough
land left, 400 acres, which, with the orchard [underline]ought[/underline]
to give us a living. The apples last season
sold for $808.00 after paying for the
[bands?]. Thou may think me foolish or
superannuated to tell these particulars;
I shall not do it to any other human
being, except Ann & I know thou feels
interested in all that concerns us
hence my freedom.

A letter from Ann last evening expresses such a