West Branch Mar 22

My Dear Sister Maggie

I received you letter last mail and I cannot tell you how glad I was to hear from you I had not a letter from you or Annie since I came to the Branch  I was telling Angus that you must be vexed  he said if you were it was the first time  I was glad to hear that you were well  there is a great deal of sickness and death about here this spring  there is a cold and inflammation going about and mostly every body seems to take it  we all had the cold very bad but none of us took inflammation but Emma and the Doctor said she was taken in time so she got nicely over it  Janet had it very bad but as Cu. [cousin] Hannah is there and is writing you I will not tell you anything about them  Mother has been at Davids since a week  she was in here today   she is wonderful  well  she was seeing most of the neighbours round here yesterday  she intends calling on the Doctors tomorrow  The Doctor is the same old stick  Cassie Hannah and I were down there last night  he carries on just the same as usual  his Mrs will be shocked at him  Mrs Norie and Kate were inquiring about you  Ricthie folk get along about the same style as usual  Sis has not got so many beaus as usual  John Ross Stingan and Kenneth Sutherland calls on her occasionally and gives her a drive  just think of it  they appear to be very neighbourly  Mr MacMillans are still selling rum  Not withstanding the Scot Act  they are doing a great deal of harm round the branch  I hope there will be a stop put to them ere long  The rest of the folks round the Branch are quite well but little Kenneth he is always complaining  Well Maggie I must now tell you about myself  I felt very lonely when we came down here first   I missed Dora so much  I did not know how to do anything   Emma is still talking about her every day  We have no school this winter  Maggie B and Cassie are a great help to me A W is most of the time in the mill and feeding the hens  Jennie Ann and Emma are making dolls and playing of strangers  I hardly know what to tell you about our house  it is rickety rackety but I hope when the warm weather comes we will get it fixed up nicely  Angus is very busy  he has not written a letter since we came down here  he says he will write you as soon as he can  Mother wants me to tell you that she hopes you will come home before long as she is longing to see you  she sends her love to you  I was seeing George Munroe the other day  auntie is getting very frail  she took me for you  she asked me when I came home from Boston  Now Maggie space will not permit me to write any more at present  Write when you get this and I will give you more news next time  Angus and all the children join with me in sending you our love

Your loving sister Jessie

Excuse this writing Angus and Kate were making such noise that I could scarcely move my pen

Mr Gillis called in to see us today  he is the same old Gillis getting no better