Envelope - Mr. A. Vickrey, Jamestown, Guilford Co, NC

                                                                                        Bloomingdale
                                                                                        Oct 1st, 1873

Dear Father and Mother

    This evening ___________ is somewhat torn-up.  We have been having sickness in our midst for sometime, you at the very hearthstone.

    Eunice has had the Typhoid Fever.  Has been confined to her bed for over two weeks.  She has been quite sick though she is better now and in a fair way to get well I think.

    Job was taken on the 19th of this month with Billious Fever.   The Doctor John A. Goldsberry was called.  He said the case was not dangerous.   But last sunday morning he was taken worse as his case had got to be Typhoid Fever and this morning at 35 minutes till seven his pirit hath taken its flight.  I had been by his bedside from midnight (as Jesse set up in teh fore part of the night) and did not see any particular change in him.  He often wanted to know if we thought he would recover.  & the doctor had never told us any thing to the contrary. and as a matter of course we told him we thought he would. Consequently we did not talk to him about his eternal welfare.  But he left us some assure-ance that he had a blessed hope beyond the grave.  A short time before he died he remarked that the "Lord doeth all things well" and that the Lord worketh mightily his wonders to perform"  He had taken no solid food for nearly two weeks consequently he was getting very weak.

    The funeral service will take place tomorrow at 10 o'clock at Bloomfield Jesse talked of telegraphing to his father in Rush County but as they lived some distance from and office he deferred it.  We are having so much sickness in Bloomingdale this fall that there is hardly enought of well people to bury the well ones.   Day before yesterday there was two buryings here.  Nora Woodard a young lady of Bloomingdale and Cousin Betsey Ann Teague (formerly Swaim)  She had been ailing for several months and her disease finally proved to be the dropsy.  There are quite a no- of people still sick in town but they are generally better.

    I have been very stout this summer so far but cannot tell how long I may be.  Julia has been well.  Thats my Ladys name)  She is just the size that I am as near as can be.

    Delilah holds up pretty well for she has been doing the work all the time since Eunice has been sick.

    We have been having frosty weather for some time and I think there is quite a large amount of corn that is damaged.  I have been carpentering all summer.  Work __ nearly through.  Am going into school sometime soon Wages $50.00 per month Will board at home.  Jesse has not engaged yet.  He calculates to teach if his folks get well.  Would write a long letter if I could it is nearly five and I must write to his folks this evening.  Hope this may find you well.   So no more.  Write soon.

                                                        As ever (written for Jesse)
                                                            E. S. Vickrey

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