eThursday evening –
My dear Sister,
I intended to have written to you
before my boy went to make his visit but I
have been so completely overwhelmed with care
for the last ten days that I could not write a
line – Within one week I had five different cooks
– Rachel remained but 2 days she was engaged to
another place when she came and they sent for
her Thursday – I then had a white woman one
day – Then Maria came two days – and finally
John brought an Irish girl who is no cook at
all and I have had that to do myself – Dear
Clara has been sick more than a week and
every night after a toilsome day I have been
down to see her – She has suffered greatly with
pain having an inflammation of the kidney some
nights walking the floor nearly the whole night
after the third day she employed Dr Robinson
took homoeopathic remedies four days without
the least amelioration of her disease – Mc-
Lallen then went for Dimond but did not
find him in the mean time he met a man
of his acquaintance who had been suffering
with the same disease and he recommended
a balsam which McLallen found at the druggist
and which afforded Clara almost immediate
relief – Mrs Bowen has just came from there, says
she is greatly improved, was coming up to see
me – I have been in bed all day – I went
last night to see Clara in a shower of
rain after standing all day over a hot
cooking stove – About 10 I was seized with

violent pain in the bowels [ a ] ttended with
nausea – a chill and fever succeeded
I tried two or three different medicines ineffectually
was finally relieved by coffea before the Dr came
he told me the chill would be succeeded by
fever and left me some other medicines,
I am this evening able to sit up and write, hope
to be well again tomorrow – Willie is not
well – his stomach seems to be deranged
he has some fever to night – Uncle John
seemed an old man of 80 came last
Thursday to make a visit of indefinite length
he has been sick much of the time since
he came – amid all my hurry I was obliged
to take up the carpet in the south chamber
to keep it from being hopelessly soiled. I
will give you my occupation for one day
you can judge of the others – rise at 6 dust
and shut up the parlour – overlook the breakfast
and dining room generally assisting in each
department – after breakfast spend one or
more hours in the kitchen – wash and dress baby
the remaining part of the morning in the kitchen
after dinner nurse sister – lie down half an
hour if not prevented – sit with Mrs Bowen
until 1/2 past 5 – get tea with Anthony –
after tea nurse sister – go to Clara's return
at 9 and crawl wearily to bed – I have left
out the innumerable calls upon my time when–
ever I got seated to give directions about the
work – attend to the applications of beggars
& & – I have felt the whole week as if I were
driven at rail road speed – Mrs Bowen regrets
that she will not see you – the last letter from
Henry was written at Cleveland – they were to
go from the Detroit to Makinaw – there to