p.

5

there is something very painful in the contemplation of a life spent
and terminated as his was, - there seems to be no bright spot in the whole
course of it - at least none to endear his memory to any one, - not even his own family,
for in that incle all his unamiable traits had full scope: but enough of this
only as lesson to the living: his wife is very feeble and has been very ill,
about two weeks before his death, they thought she was dying, - but she re-
vived, - and it now seems probable that she may continue through the fall
tho' the doctors think it heart disease, and death may occur suddenly.

John Wheeler too, is quite feeble, - he sits up some, but needs constant
attention, - thy cousin R. visits him pretty often,- he has good care as
Charles's wife is there, and she is a kind and skillful nurse, - she is a
niece of uncle Caleb's - Mary Hartwell's daughter, but is wholly unlike
the family, - gentle, well informed and lady-like in her manners. - she is
a conscientious, serious person and is a truly valuable woman: we are
glad that he has such a care-taker.

About four weeks ago our cousin Eliza came to see us, - she was with
about ten days, and went from here to visit some friends in Essen -
on the other side of the Lake: she apeared to feel pretty comfortable
in mind, - tho' we thought rather less so than when here last, two years
since: they are considerably embarrassed by debt, - according to their
means of paying, and her husband is growing old: their adopted [deletion]
daughter too, is in poor health, and altogether, cousin E. feels as if her
lot is not very easy: she said Maria is on the wing again, having
become tired of Michigan, - she is now in Canada amongst the Aus-
tins, and Eliza said she hoped that she could winter [underline]there[/underline], as she
is a burden to her daughters and herself too, - made such, by her unhappy
disposition: truly a sad prospect for life's closing day, as dependent as we
all are upon others to soothe the hours of suffering, which come to most of us.