Origsize: 5" x 8"; Origformat: Artifact; Resolution: 600 DPI
Name/Title
Letter from Aaron W. Aldrich
Entry/Object ID
2024.02.68
Scope and Content
Front Right:
Dover 7th Mch/80
The excitment is over & Horace is at last out of danger but not well by a long way; the fever took a turn about 1 oclock last tuesday night. Henry & Harvey & Reuben Osborn, 3 of the best watchers within 2 miles were ther that night. At about 12 o'clock he began to get restles & they did every thin to quiet him but to no purpose finally Henry proposed to all get out of his sight (Lydia & sarah were crying & the others wer frightenend) & Henry undertook alone to quiet & get him to sleep. So he began to talk to him in the sleepy drowsy way that henry knows so well how to perform; but could not get him to sleep till after the fever turned & then it took but a short for him to go to sleep. After he slept a little while they they wakened & gave him some medicine & wet his lips & he went to sleep again, but they had their hands full to keep him from sleeping to sound & long. Wednesday he was quite rational & by Thursday noon Henry came home after sitting up 8 days & nights but just as they sent for Henry again: they talked and
Back Left:
make so much noise & one thing & another that he was all tired out & would not take his medicine & it took Henry till friday night to get him back to where he was thursday noon so henry came home friday night. Reuben Osborn & Harvey sat up Horace friday night & had a pretty good time telling stories. He is now in his right mind & any can manage him. The first thing he wanted to eat after the fever left was cold potatoes: they asked him if he did not want them warmed there were afraid to let him eat them but they did not hurt them but he will not eat brandy + milk any more. but Henry is about used up. He went up into Henry Foots woods with me to six posts for a rustic summer house & we got home about 11 Oclock & he said he had not have hone, so in the afternoon Frances Stark I went into the woods & cut all the crooked limbs neer Lsary to build the frame. Jim is sickm I think he took a cold & his neck swelled & bunches gather under his chops & he discharges yellow matter from his nose we rubbed spirits of turpentine on his neck & steam him with bran meshes as hot as he can bear & give him bran meshes to eat & soak his oats & hay for him & mow he is getting better Lucy is quite unwell since she stayed over to Horaces so-long 5 days
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I meant to tell you in my last to borrow the money if you had none by you to come here to see Horace & I would let you have enough to settle the bill when you got back but missed somehow of ding, so but you will not need to come now unless you have other business. Tomorrow I am going into henry Foots woods to grub out 2 trees to set 2 more posts for the rustic house & then I am going to building board fence on the line between Henry & H Foot also repairing board fence along the road & also the rail fence & then shall commence ploughing 30 acres for Oats & about 15 for corn Luthe is going west this spring as soon as the weather gets warm enough I wish I was ready to go with him & get him on my land with me. dont you think you could give him some kind of chance on you land? he has got a good span of horses harness & waggon but no tools to work land with. Bill Saddler is mending twine he has got 4 men mending & thinks it will take him 1 month or more. Henry Foot has got about 70 sticks of square timber out of his woods this winter & will take about 25 sticks to Cleveland to morrow if the lake is still. It is vacation time this wek in the Union school in Oberlin & the girls are all home & Mary Matthews has come home with them
Front Left:
We are beginning to think Grants for the presidency are beginning to grow less & that Blains chance is gaining ground every day the german republican papers are not in favour of a 3 term president for fear of it finally lead to his taking to much pow into is own hands & will finally become King & some think if they bolt the republicans cannot cheet him. I find there a great many of the best men of the south want Grant for president. They are sick of this bulldozing business & want things settled & have peace. The negro exodus is throwing to many republican votes into the northern states which will tell against them at the next election. I am for Grant but shall vote for the Chicago republican nominee whether it be Grant, Blain, Sherman can do more good in the senate than as president
Anything to kill the cursed Catholic
[drawing of a cross]
I have written more than I intended to & it is time to commence my chores Cant you write me a letter Yours & A.W. Aldrich
