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                        Stevensville, March 28th 62

My dear Sister

               We have all been very

busy to day dipping candles to day and now just before night I take time to write - by brother Richard, who goes to Middlesex in the morning. If you have not heard it before, you will be surprised when I tell you that [Kate?] [Portis?] is dead, her illness was so short, and her death so sudden that it is indeed hard to realize that she is gone. She was taken this Saturday about twelve oclock with pain in one of her legs. But Betty thought it was nothing serious and did not send for the doctor until the disease had gone so far that she could not put her feet to the floor. It just have been a most violent and rapid case of acute rheumatism for she died Tuesday night after the most intense suffering. As soon as the brain was attacked it carried her off. Mr Portis and Billy bore it as well as they could possibly do with much Christian fortitude. Sister Emaline feels her loss as much as any one for Kate was frequently with her and apparently as well satisfied as when at home. Sister Emaline started to see Macon this morning but as [bro?] John is coming up from Gloucester Point (where he went to carry Fountain [Cantin?] as substitute) to day I would not be surprised if the [?] Macon coming up [?] if so it will be bad, as I can think of no arrange- -ment we or the other could make to return. Betty has been quite sick but is now better. She is looking very bad- 0 -ly and has very little appetite. She is a strange child sometimes and I can't think what makes her talk as she does. She told me a short time ago that she wanted to die and go to heaven and this evening I took her with Andrew to the graveyard. and she asked me to point out to her where her grave would be when she died.

   I suppose Ginnie was married

Tuesday. As I understand Mr Howerton came after his licence to be married the 25th. I have heard nothing more definite about it since you were up Sun. Ma has been suffering very much with boils and is most all the time very unwell. But she will never give up as long as she can

[end of letter?]