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your Husband, to a seat in the
Paradise of our Heavenly Father,
where he so joyously met & embraces
his loved son, "They are not dead,
but Keepeth" When you shall have
done with the Herculean cares
connected with your enormous
estate, and life's cares over, your
joy in meeting your loved ones,
will be unbounded, I have much
to be thankful for, atlthough my finan-
cial affairs were almost ruined by fire
and building up a country village
and heavily losing thereby, yet I have
one of the best wives now in the 56th year
of our union, and all our children
who will not see us want, and I
am also thankful I can work
and earn my living - shall want
but little, and that, but a little while
Please keep up the best of spirits.

very Cordially yours Robert Mathes

Leland would have been President had he
lived, & you have nevere [sic] been outdone in
Washington's choicest society.