Reading, Berks County,

Pennsylvania,

North America

Dec 27th, 1858

My dear Father and Mother

Mary told me I should have to write two letters before I heard from you again so I take the present opportunity of transmitting to you such information of myself and how I fared Christmas, as I have no doubt you are anxious to hear and have most likely been speculating on as to what “poor Will” would have for his dinner on Christmas Day, “Well” to let you know that I did not fast     must inform you that roast Turkey was the order of the day to which I did ample justice ing by shoving away a piece of breast and another portion of the bird that was absolutely necessary for its locomotion before it came to market, together with all the nic nax which upon the whole I consider was a good dinner. I am still boarding in the aristocratic part of this city and am very comfortable, I had a bad cold and sore throat a week or two ago but its better now I got some flax seed tea with leamon in it and was soon better and am now in good health I am thankful to say. I often step across to Hicks’s at night and spend an hour or two with Cousin Thomas on some of them he generally salutes me with, “how do Willy” or “good evening William”..

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Just as if he had not seen me at the walk ever so many times during the day. Sometimes I think we have talked everything over about Ilkeston and all the folks but he often commences the subject and one thing leads to another till we go the whole round, if he mentions anything that I don’t know he says your Father and your Aunt Riley knows all about it, one night when I was riding home from the walk with him he told me to tell you when I wrote that you must not be surprised if you saw him come walking in I told him if my Father and he got together again they’d have plenty to talk about for a good while he seems to have a strong desire to visit England again and I think he will if all’s well some day he told me this morning to remember him to you all and his love to Aunt Riley. Last night he wrote a long letter to John Watson requesting him together with Willm & Amos to contribute something for Aunt Riley he said he knew John would send his $5 but Bill and Amos he was mad at them because he had written to them a time or two and they had not responded they are both better off than John and hold a tighter fist on what they’ve got. I had a letter from John W. a short time ago in answer to one I sent after I received the long lost letter and enclosed the one you wrote to my Aunt he said how glad they were to hear from England again and told me to tell my Father that he hoped you would not fail to write a

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few lines to his Mother every time you write to me. If you knew how she prized a letter from you and how she has treasured up every letter you have sent her as well as I do (for she fetched her whole budget out when I was there and I had to fix the pieces together like a dissected map before I could read them) you would write her a few lines however if you don’t Bessey must for Aunt Watson has seen her, if she says she does not know what to write about she must tell her how she has grown and what black hair she has & what a nice set of teeth she is Mrs off [?] and that Aunt Riley says she is the picture of her Grandmother and her Aunt Bessey and I am sure she will be pleased John Watson wished me to send their kind love to you all especially to Aunt Riley and he said he thought he should take my advice and write to you again so if he does and should happen to preach a sermon to you you must not be offended for he is a good hearted Cousin and wishes all his friends well. They are taking stock at the Ropery this week so there will not be much work done, we have been making 3/4 time lately begin at 9(?) a.m and quit at 4 1/2 p.m. if we can do that till spring shall do very well then it is expected that business will take a rush and go ahead again. Manilla is low now being about 3 3/4 a pound

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Petersburgh clean is quoted at 200 dollars at ton that is a little over £41 English but it is very seldom there is any good to be got hold of in this country Cousin Thos tells me. I have not spun a harle of it since I have been here, its all Manill Italian, and Country hemp we use here together with ? And Juke to mix in for centre [?] yarn. When you write again tell me what the prices of hemp are in England and what is the price of Manilla and wether you get good clean and Polish now a days and how trade is and every thing else that you think will interest me. I hope you will not sell any thing belonging to the flat Rope machine because I think I know how they can be sewed so that they will not come assunder. I think from what Cousin Thomas said last night you will hear from him soon with something for Aunt Riley if you do you must send him a good long letter beck and I am sure he will feel very pleased. I told him when he sent the first money for her she cried for joy to think he was so kind as to remember her, he seemed deeply touched when I told him he said he should like very much to see her again once more. I suppose you would rather I left an inch of blank paper at the bottom than cross it, so may as will end up while there is room to do so in a decent manner without cramming it all into one corner

With kind love to you I am still  Your Affectionate Son

William Slater