On January 2, 1883, Adella Stoner, when she was about ten years old, wrote the following letter to her brother Jacob who was then in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska. The same envelope enclosed a letter from her mother.

Dear Brother,

We are all well. We have very nice weather. January is coming in nice. We have literarys at our school-house every thursday night    they are pretty good to    the last one was the best one yet    we have not had very many dialogues yet    there was a pretty good one the last night    Bob Stafford and Scott Collins were colored Black    Rob sung the old wooden rocker night before on the last night    the last night was the third night    Speer has not treated yet unless he treats a monday    if he don't we will mak his hair stand on end what little he has    they are talking of getting him a bottle of castor oil and a cigar and a pound of salts and stick of candy. When you said for Howard to save you that pig we thought you was right here coming home    we have almost give you up. Will is going to write you a letter and he can tell you the news about the young folks.

Howard is writing some to    he is going to put it inside of moms and my letter. We had a Turkey roast on Christmas and were looking for you every minute but didn't see you. One day moms ask Howard what you would do for some little boy to tease out there and he said you would tease them big Buffalo girls    he meant Bohemean. Sam Kildoo is going with your old girl Jennie Vanhorn. I was at Will Boaks last night    they are butchering this morning    pap is helping them. Well I guess I will have to bring this letter to a close. I smell corn soup    we are going to have corn soup for dinner    well I will have to go and get dinner while mom writes her page    write soon    from your sister    Della Stoner.

Dear Son

i write you a fiew lines    this is a pretty sunny day    froze some last night    i guess we wil have no sleighing this winter    we attended the fiftieth aniversary of Henery and Betsy Emery on thursday last 31st    there was about 80 took diner    had a very nice time    they got a great many nice presents of diferent kinds    Charley Shafer was up to visit us    come one day and went home the next    was homesick i guess    tillie and [??] has never been down to see us yet    uncle wash[?] aunt matt[?] aunt barb and family    John Roberts and family were here on Christmas    grandma is getting pretty frail    she lives with Johns now    did you know a young man out there the name of reed    Alexandrea Kerr was telling your pap up at emeryes there he lives a house town    was telling him he got acquainted with you out there    Charley Stoner would sell out and go out where frank is if he could get a buyer    we heard john turner had ofered old Ms hunt 80 dollars an acre for his farm    i suppose you will be surprised when i tell you that uncle [?]ed is worth about ten thousand dollars    eight thousand at the court house    this new law caught him as the money is taxed pretty well for a poor by to make with his hands and trowel    well elmer you never to'd me if your hair had quit coming out    we received a letter from you a day or two ago    we did not know but you would be home during the winter months    your pap has been talking if you dont come home about going out in the spring    if you go farther west he will hardly find you    i guess i wil have to close by bidding god bye    write soon    your Mother

[p.s.]Lizie [Luzie?] kildo has not been very well this winter    billie walton is worse    his [?] limb is going to be [?] [?] is better hose[?] weght to her limb    ida crocker adress is west moravia

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