cams_bawatson_b3153_f018_001_01

1850
Springfield Ill June 24 [above] 25

My Dear Beloved Husband

Your letter dated Feb 26 I
recieved [received] yesterday. I was so happy to get a letter from you that I
should hear how soon you were going to start home but sad
disappointment it was to read that perhaps you would stay longer
if I were in your place I would not stay longer then fall
not for two Californias full of gold. Dearest you must not
I cannon [cannot] live without you longer as my heart is set on
Christmast [Christmas] for your returning. I am afraid you are working to [too] hard
do take good care of your health for that is more precious than gold.

Dearest I commenced this letter 9 days ago but Pa has been
quite sick and I have ben [been] waiting for him to get better which
he now is, he had a very sever [severe] atact [attack] of his old disease he was very
bad one day but was able to go to shop yesterday evening, I think
he works too hard but there is no need for it as there are three
there beside him the buisness [business] is very good ) you wrote to your Pa
to buy Mr. Wiley's place but it is sold and I am glad of it for I do
not want to live there if I live in town I should rather live
where I do than any place in town our place is beautifull [beautiful] now
we have fruit as much as we want our strawberies [strawberries] did not
do very well this season I think it was so dry after they bloomed
but grapes and plumbs [plums] we have in abundance. I wish you
were here to enjou [enjoy] our fine plumbs [plums] the tree is full. I told you
in my last letter that our nectrine [nectarine] tree was dead but a tree
that you set at the East side of the stable is full of Nectrines [Nectarines]