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Reading Penna North America December 27, 1858 

My dear Sisters

I think I must address you collectively this time not having heard of from you since I wrote last, only the review Mary sent was something to be sure but not nothing much. I saw Mary went to Iston (Dialect for his home town of Ilkeston) to hear Mr. Vencent. I thought of sending you a paper in return and defer  writing for a while but knowing that you preferred a letter for me if it is ever so proper to the best paper on this continent I determined to try – 

I was called off this afternoon to spin a different kind of yarn to the one I had commenced so now I have spliced again will try it to draw it out small, smooth and even. Miss Hettie wishes me too remember her to my Sisters and wishes you a happy Christmas. I may tell you she is very kind to me, she saw my stockings wanted mending so she asked me if I’ve got any yarn so I gave her the one of the small balls I bought with me and while she was mending, she praised the  yarn all the time and stockings too. She said that mothers nowadays did not teach their children how to knit and do things that were useful .  all they thought about was to dress and parade

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around the streets and I think she was pretty near the mark. I will tell you what I was doing on Friday night Christmas Eve you know, The yankees are great folk for buying candles, especially fro Christmas.   They buy them by the pound and in such varieties that you have never seen and make a Christmas tree and hang these candies all over it and light it up with a small wax candles of different colors.   Well, Mrs Hicks keeps a Drug Store and also sells candles and toys so she is especially busy a few days before to get ready for Christmas so I went over of a night to help.  

One night Cos Thos (Cousin Thomas Jackson) and I were stringing a lot of masks to hang up in the store. We had plenty of remarks and laughing about each ugly mug we came across occasionally. I put one on when it was extraordinarily “fouglas. Joe Lego says the majority of them were ghoons and a few were piping there,  One especially had three big black tears on his cheek and the corners of his mouth drawn down as if he had a clock weight hung in each corner.

You’ll think I’m in a long before I tell you what I was doing on Friday night the 24th inst. What would you think of me being behind a counter selling little tin horses and carriages, little smoothing irons (not quite so big as John Aufols but big enough for to get up doll houses and various other useful and  ornamental articles that would neither bend nor buzz

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The aforesaid is a bold fact for I was actually engaged in the above business of one fellow came in for a mask but we actually hadn’t one in ugly enough for him and I can assure you that some of them had triangle strawberry mouth  of very ample dimensions. I was thinking about Bessie’s chapel treat and thought it would probably be held on the Thursday 23 Dec. so tell me how far I am off the mark. They and the children would cut up some fruit slices I should think if Mrs Rolling had gone in the dining room and get a nap she would most likely have been cause of the cough  if he happened to have it.  I suppose you would all go rolling at the statues within Ben what’s his name asked you or not. 

Tell Eliza Webster if I’m home  next year and all is well it will go around with her and the (?)elephant if there is one. Was Mrs Walker at the fair and had she got the jaws on.   I should think she might venture on another half pot as far as I can recollect.

 How’s old Everingham does he go stumping to the church over Sunday as usual and thumps his tubs and churns on a Monday    You should tell Billy D that he ought to sew himself into old Everingham chairs that he exhibits for sale and wiggle and out in them till he has bot all the strawsfound it in the end then tell he has got all the straw out

I should think he has them on hand long 

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enough. You must each tell me how are you all getting along and what there is fresh in Eastwood, Alfreton and Ripley and wether Sarah goes by her new first name  when she has her bonnet trimmed    You must remember me to Uncle Charles and all of them not forgetting Sarah.

I should think she won’t let anyone oer run their tale if they are telling one in his hearing or swagger too much either. 

Miss Hetty just told me she thought I was writing to my girl. I looked so pleased all the time. The fact is that I’ve been pretty much bursting out laughing two or three times. Maybe you will not be any restrained when you read this and if there is anything to laugh at, you can crack your waist coat string or stay less audibly same as that fellow that wrote on the Martin Chuzzlewitt. 

By the by I saw a piece in the newspaper here the other day speaking about the weather  We had two or three snowy wet and slobery Sundays.  they said they thought that even Mark Tapley would have pronounced it miserable enough to be jolly    if he wouldn’t, old Ted would if he had to walk up and down the hauling pads on singing Mistress mine where a ah ah you going to etc etc etc so on  doth  know he how.

Remember me to the Cours and friends , to Ben and Tom.  tell Ben to remember me to Hannah etc etc  and to Eliz and Eliz  to Joe and Joe to Mary and to Grace and ask Gracie wot mums doo. You’ll think I’m writing some rum stuff but you will see I have not got Mary to the gas with now and hardly ever hear any slack jaw

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Nothing clearly legible.
It appears that the cross hatch was actually written on the reverse of the sheet of paper in this case . To begin to read this scan requires flipping the sheet 90 degrees and then flipping it horizontally.

Still the writing is obscure.

AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS, the Ambassadors believe they have solved this puzzle.

The author had mistakenly allowed the wet ink on the vertical text of page 2 (below ) to smudge all over the back of the first sheet he had written. With a supreme struggle, we can make out the reverse imprint of the words,  “Harry drove . . .”

There is no new message to interpret on the back of page 1.

QED

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There is plenty of snow now for sleighing. The horses are rigged out with bells so that parties driving at night might hear each other and avoid a collision   they glide along noiselessly is quite novel to a John Bull.  Tonight we came in from the walk   Harry and his father and I   we had a mule to propel us as Harry drove and we had some good laughing at the various remarks we kept making on the mule.  Harry said he wishes he would kick the splash board off,  but he wasn’t much for kicking     Cousin Thos (Thomas Jackson) has two sleighs, the best one has just been painted and I can assure you it is jam up it is good enough for  for young Ray to Ride in

Shouldn’t you like a sleigh ride?.  I know you would so when I come back we must try and rig one up.  A good big wish to be to put on out big drag would be first rate to drive around Eastwood.  It would go down Nethergreen lane like one o’clock if there were plenty of snow.   I’ve got a hole through my front tooth so I shall have to keep a stiff upper lip and hide it   Now I am going to post this tonight, 30th December and you’ll perhaps get in on 12th or 13th January 1859.  God willing.

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Cousin Mary often talks about writing to you and at present it is all talk. She complains to me that she has no time for anything and I am not surprised for she fussocks about and what our Polly would says very  corked in fact it is almost always with old maids.

  When you go to see Aunt Riley give my kind love to her and tell her I think about her and hope to see her again. Send me word how they are going on at Marlpool and whether they have got a minister yet and all particulars  and how things are going on at Alfreton Chapel. Remember me to Mrs Colledge & to Mr Comper Gray if he ever comes now.  And be so good as to tell me whether you keep my letters private or whether you show them to anyone.  What’s the bill of fare at Eastwood Church nowadays?

Mary does it suit your views entirely or what, let’s be knowing. You have none of Jim Baron coming round nowadays desiring to know what meal you’ll want,  But I suppose Mr Day and wants to know  comes with a bit of news about Robt Randall and wants to know if he can’t  sell you a nice little bit of Bellstrf this weekend.

Now my dear sisters I must conclude with my best love to you and hope to hear from you with good long letters closely written.

THEN written over the page on the diagonal axis

I am your affectionate brother

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Does Anna Pickering ever come to our house now or do any of them ever ask about me if so, tell Anna I would like to hear from her again and will write if she will write back. What does Miss Fanny say now when she comes? Does she ever ask about Mr. William? if she does, tell her I wish to be remembered to her 

I suppose they have flare up at the rectory on Friday night     there will be first second and third class visitors and usual I should apprehend.   Is the church cramming full now the novelty has worn off?

Is my Father surveyor of the roads yet    how does he get on with it     who keeps the books. Send mt plenty when you are doing next time and remember me to all the folks who ask after me. I used to apple dumplings and rolly poly puddings and Yorkshire puddings were indispensable but I find. I can get along without them although I could eat the thick end or the corner very well if I had it. 

I think I told you before that I was your affectionate brother 

William