back my boards and have any quantity of lumber that I want for 
building purposes I have got a yoke of oxen and two cows I have
 got in eight acres of wheat this fall it looks very well I raised 
about a hundred and forty bushels of potatoes and some corn last
 season I did not expect to raise any thing it was late in the
 spring before we got settled I had to get a house built after we came here
but we have got pretty comfortably settled now and
 nothing to do but to raise a living of our land it is all paid
 for and every thing that we have got is paid for and I think this
 is a very healthy Country we have all enjoyed verry good health 
since we came here and our children also John is Learning to read
 and little andrew is walking alone two months ago John says his
 Grandfather is comeing from Selkirk and he is going to bring him
 a house and gig our Land lies on the side of a public road their 
is people passing and repassing every day our nearest neighbour
 is within three hundred yards of us on the opposite side of the 
road we dont want neighbours any nigher   Margaret is so much of a 
yanke now that she likes the yankes   better for neighbours than 
she does the scotch I expect that you will write as soon as you
 receive this letter it is so long since we heard from you we must 
write oftener or we will get more out of aquaintance I would like
 if you would send me a newspaper sometimes get a large sheet and 
fill it close up and send us everything that you think will be 
interesting their must have been a great many ups and downs about 
Selkirk since we left it will soon be five years Margaret was
 saying the other evening that when she looked back and thought 
about Selkirk it apeared like a dream to her   Their was a great 
storm at buffalo about the middle of october the water rose in
 the lake about fifteen feet in twenty minutes and throwed the
 ships out of the harbour onto the streets went  into cellars and low houses
and knocked down houses and destroyed property to the
 amount of five hundred thousand dollars I did not hear how many
 lives was lost.  When I wrote last we did not intend to come to 
wisconsin untill the month of september but we thought that it 
would be too late in the fall and perhaps the cold weather would
 set in before we got settled   Mr Aliphant wanted me to stay with 
him he never dreamed that I had any thought of leaving him he
 told me when I was coming away that if I did not like the Country 
or if I did not find things acording to my expections to come
 back to him again I should have my place again just as I left it
     
Dear
          
Father I am wearying very much to hear from you I never
 longed so much to hear from you all as I do now since we left we
 have got a place of our own now and I enjoy it verry much you all 
told me that I was foolish to leave home but I have never had any 
reason to regret leaving home yet we have attained the object 
that we left home for now by long perseverance and industry I
have got 2 fine little boys John is growing a big strong fellow
he is verry fond of his father   Andrew is the prettiest little 
boy that you ever saw he runs round and plays all day long    John 
and him takes a great deal of comfort together   Dear Sister send