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North Ferrisburgh 6th mo 15th 1863
Dear cousin
R. B. Stevens
I received thy very interesting letter of the 26th & have read it many times over. I received one at the same time from a niece but did not open it untill I had read thine twice over the account of [Mr.?] Hoag's famaly was perticularly interesting. I was sorry you had so hard a time getting home am afraid Paulina will feel discouraged (remember my love to her). Thou has no dout looked for a letter from me ere this but it has been an eventful time with us since thee was here. I will mention some of the most important as they came in course: seventh day the next week after thee left us Rufus cousin William Hazard & myselfe went to Vergennes in the waggon we came from Monkton in (it was (the first time we had used it) we had some milling done it the Center traded some at Vergennes bought a wash stand with drawers like a beauro which set across the front of the waggon the back of the seat was turned down & I sat back to the horses the men seting on the back seat we wer enjoying our ride untill comeing down the little hill south of Reese's the waggon sudingly ran onto the horses & they jumped & run; the bolt through the [howns?] which held the toing to the waggon was probably broke and flew out the chains that hiched back the evener would not guide the waggon att all & as Rufus drawed up the horses the wheels would hit them
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I must take the pen again to tell thee that Henry Miles from Iowa was at yearly meeting came to Vermont staid from seventh day night untill seconday night looks as he used to except a little older I dont know what his business was but understood he wanted a little more money
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they run; the waggon bounded some times on the two nigh wheels & some times the two aff when we wer just north of Keeses horse barn Wm. & I [hiped?] out Rufus went about 18 rods further & piched out head first & let go the lines the horses soon cleared from the waggon & came home with the [toung?] Rufus paid no attention to his team or himselfe untill he got back to me & helped git me in the house my left foot & right leg was hurt badly but falling so hevely on my side seemed to hurt my liver which with my former dificulties made breathing hard work but we had no bones broken Keese's & Rogers' folkes wer ready to administer to our necesetyes as soon as they got me in the house they attended to Rufus bleeding forhead which he hit when he fell & the [jerk?] on his back and neck seemed to nearly unjoint it he didnot feel it so much that day as the next I think he was hurt as bad as I but didnot make so much fuss about it we wer both under the Docters care for several days. Thomas brought Esther down soon after we got home she staid 5 days & nursed us. Rufus or we came home with Keeses team & Rufus took our horses & lumber waggon went back & picked up the fragments but the next day he could hardly stir cousin William was not hurt only lamed a little & we all felt very thankful that we had no bones broken & that the acident didnot happen when we wer comeing from Monkton over that dreadful road with us three [deleted]helpless[/deleted] wimen in. Rufus recovered from his hurt so far as to be able to get his little farming along & go to the Yearly Meeting started the 26th & didnot get home untill the next week seventh day the Meeting large & unusually interesting he was in meeting or on
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committees nearly all the time untill ten or eleven oclock came home looking considerably worn the yearly meeting closed fifth day but the representative meeting met again on sixth day so he had not much leisure time (I think perhaps thee has had some account of the meeting by the Tribune) there was a committee appointed to attend the opening of the new Yearly meeting in Iowa & the request of the Quarterly Meetings in Canaday & a part of Michagan to have a Yearly Meetin to be held at Pickering resulted in the appointing a committee to visit the meetings & report next year. The youngerly members of the yearly Meeting requested a meeting appointed for them one evening which was done, the older members not excluded but they wer to take the back seats the meeting was said to be very satisfactory & interesting there was fifty different individuals spoke either in suplication or otherwise Ruth Hoag one of the number; Our Dear Carrie lived untill the eighth she suffered much the last two or three weeks was entirely resgned said she loved Jesus & the change would be a happy one didnot want them to hold her her sickness & death has been very hard for Lydia she is hardly able to be about house but sais she [deleted]is[/deleted] dont wish Carrie back to a life of suffering. Seneca & the bois to seem to feel very lonely Lydia staid here last night her father came over in the evening said he dident want her to stay away but one night it was so lonesome there. Carie died second day we thought her dieing first day (the next day after Rufus got home) the funeral was on fifth day & sixth day Seneca had the remains of Persis Emaly & Rusel taken up & [deleted]laid[/deleted] buried in the grave yard. Just as we wer about to take our seats at Senecas the day of
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William Dean & Silvia went to Yearly Meeting had a nice time. Silvia was much interestd for the contrabands. Mary Dean had a
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dreadful time with her finger it came off to the first joint she came near haveing near the lockjaw thought she would die & what would become of her children is well now
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the funeral Achsah told me that Esther fell down seler the night before & hurt her very badly so that the Docter was yet with her thee can perhaps guess what my feelings wer then I thought I must see her before I could go to the meeting so Rufus drove up & we found her more comfortable & we come back & met the procession went up again that night. Esther Judith & the hired man got up in the night to see what was disturbing the Turkies. Esther went for the lanturn which was in the pot room but opened the rong dore (that & the selerd one being clost together) she steped of two steps & fell to the botom of the cellar. Thomas & the hired man carried her up & got the Docter as soon as they could (she did not intend I should know it untill after the funeral) her head was hurt badly a place cut several inches long her ears all most like a blood blister & the pain intence, the first 12 hours she vometed and had ague chills. I staid with her one night & nearly two days, which was about as long as I could hold out when I left her she couldn't turn her head a bit her neck & throat was swolen so she could hardly swollow & she [deleted]could[/deleted] seemed quite fevery but I here she is some better but cant walk or stand up much one hip was brused & her back some. now I think if thee ever reads this big sheet thee will not wonder at my not writing sooner. Rufus is very well sends his love to thee & all enquiring friends he got thee a bonnet which is much handsomer than any one the ever had. I think thee will be pleased with it if it is large enough it is so perfect, but it was very silvery they talk that silk is very high he paid for thy bonnet 4.75. Ruth Hoag paid $6 for one at another shop. Rufus got one for Ruth Holmes a tasty Friends bonnet she sent for hers cost 5.75 they both come here in one box. Ruth says she will do any way about the box pay a part & let thee have it or pay all 38 cts & keep it.
Pleas excuse me for not writing any more at presant I am as well as comon except a hard cold my love to thee & all enquireing friends
Sarah A Hazard
read this thyself but dont expose it for onlooking over I find much bad spelling
