15th March 1928, Wellington, Colorado. U.S.A. My dearest Mother, I received your last letter quite a while ago but never seemed to get it answered before now. I started over a week ago but had to quit as soon as I started. Thanks ever so much for the four books I got yesterday. It seemed ages since we had any before. How did the "Rich Relation" and the Indian story end up? We missed them. I am thankful to say that ma's leg is all healed up now. She does'nt have to go to the doctor's any more. She gets cramps in her legs quite a bit now tho, otherwise I guess she can generally sleep pretty good nights. I don't think Liza's going makes much difference to the house-work part yet for Nida does wonderfully well. Of course it is harder on ma in the summer time. I'm sure glad that Edith got straightened out and I hope she'll be perfectly alright now. I want to write the poor girl a letter one of these days. I just don't know when I will be able to pay you a visit mother, you know it is quite an expense and its awfully hard to get away. Chances are we might sell out another year and then maybe something will happen I'd sure love to come. Well we have been to three more parties since I wrote you last. We had a surprise party for Rose on her birthday. Liza and mother took cakes and I took milk for the cocoa. We played games and had a good time. Ed was'nt well that night and had to lie down all the time. Both of the children had some kind of sick spell for about three days. They were just burning up with fever and had no appetite. Next we had a surprise party for Mrs Taylor on her birthday. (Mrs Taylor is Rose's mother-in-law). We had cake, ice-cream, pop-corn balls and cocoa, everybody bringing something along you know. We spent the time visiting that night. I was tired, Walt had kalsomined the kitchen this afternoon and we scrubbed the walls, paints and floor and cleaned the windows so you see we had a right to be tired. Last Thursday night we all went to a party up at the folks. It was their fortieth anniversary, wedding, I mean and so we celebrated. We had a good time that night and a lovely lunch consisting of three kinds of sandwiches, strawberry ice-cream cake and cocoa. The men only drank seventy-five bottles of beer, all drunk except Walt he's a pretty good boy. (Please don't mention as usual). On Tuesday of last week we had the dining-room papered. Our landlord will not do anything and we got tired of seeing such dirty walls so we bought the paper and had it put on. It is called "Oriental Garden" and is very pretty paper, costing 47 cents a double roll. I'll mail you a sample of it when I can. I bought some new ruffled curtains and put them up after giving the room a good spring-cleaning. I have only the pantry, clothes closet our bedroom and the back porch to clean. I'll have to work some in the cellar I guess. Well sir, I don't know what the farmers are really going to do here this year. As I have told you, beets are our main crop and it does not look as if we are going to grow any this year. The sugar factory only offers us seven dollars a ton and its impossible to make anything at that price, where you have to hire everything done. Most of these Russians association will not allow their members to grow beets at the price and the sugar factory will not raise it. Do you remember sending me a piece of paper with the prices of beets on it? Well pa got excited about it and he took it to Collins to show around and finally it was put in the paper. If I remember I will send it along. On Wednesday of last week we went to a picture show given by the business men for the farmers. We (or they) talked the matter of the community fair over and then had refreshments, consisting of sandwiches, doughnuts and coffee. We went to the show again last night. It was put on by the Ladies Aid this time. Walt got thru planting his seed wheat yesterday. Late in the afternoon it began to rain a little, finally it turned to snow and its still snowing, so we've had a whole day and night of it. We are all pleased with the snow as we have had no moisture all winter and need it pretty badly. Well, my hens finally decided to lay, and I set a hen yesterday. Walt brought in six eggs today. They're cheaper now, only eighteen or twenty cents a dozen. Well mother, I'll feel lots better now I have got your letter written but I've still got lots to write. I hope you are all well as it leaves us at present. With much love to all and lots for yourself, from "us four" I remain Your loving daughter XXXXX Dolly XXXXX