cam_hparker_2311_f005_001.1

San Francisco January 2nd 1856

My Dear Mother, Sister & Brother,

"I wish you all a
happy New Year" also "a merry christmas" and hope you
may live to enjoy many more, and that for many a year
to come the first of January may find you living, and
enjoying "the choisest [choicest] of all earthly blessings -- good health"

Since I last wrote you, I have enjoyed as good
health, as I ever have done during the past four years.

Mr Noyes [Ephraim Noyes] is also well, and our business moves on about
the same as usual, "Christmas day" we were invited out,
to partake of a nice Turkey dinner, by a gentleman by
the name of Samuel S. Palmer, who formerly lived in Milford
(where Mr Blanchard lived.) He is now engaged in the sale of
Agricultural implements and garden seeds, and his store is
located opposite my stand. His family consists of a wife
and three pretty children, and are a very pleasant family.

We dined with them and had a very pleasant time
and I felt more at home, than I ever did at any dinner
I ever set down to before, since I have been in Cala [California].

We had everything that was nice, and it was served
up in nice style. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, are good everyday --
sort of people, and one can enjoy themselves in their company
first-rate, and I consider that my Christmas [underlined] was a merry one.

Yesterday, although New Years, I attended to business all
day and partook of a dinner of my own getting up
and of course, [underlined] it was a good one, as I can assure
you that I am an excellent cook, [underlined], but I guess no one
believes it but myself. I cook one week, Mr Noyes [Ephraim Noyes] the
next, and then our new friend Mr Millet the next, so
each one of us cooks one week out of three, and we
like this way of living better than we do boarding out