Reading August 1st / 58
Dear Brother & Sister
I take up my pen to write thease few lines to you to inform you that I received your Kind and Welcome letter on the tenth of June. And I was glad to hear that you wer all enjoying good Health. Dear Brother I am in as good Health as can be expected for my age. I am a little lamed with the Rehumatic Pains, but they are not so bad as they was for I am able to walk about. And I thank God that I am so well as I am. My Son Thomas and my Daughter Ann is both well at present. We received a letter from my daughters Mary and Penelope from Pittsburgh latly and thay are all well I expect Penelope down the begining of this month. Dear Brother and Sister I can say very little a bout our sister Penelope for I have not received a letter from them this long time. I have sent them two letters but received no answer to them yet. They are very careless at writing to us. We received a letter from my nephew James Harvey about two months ago and he stated in his letter that his Father & Mother was well at that time, and I sopose it they are all well yet, else I should have herd it. I have not received a letter from our Brother & Sister in Austria this long time. I don't no the reason that he does not write. If he did write we did not receive it.
I sent the letter and News Paper that we received from you to James Harvey to give them to his Father. I forgot to mention it that James Harvey received a letter from our Brother William Alport about a month before he wrote to us and that is two months ago, and they were all well in Austria at that time, and when you write to Brother William Alport tell him to write to us. I had a letter from my Nephew Thomas Lamb. He said that his Father was well he lives near him.
Thomas and his wife is well. Thomas is a Machinist by trade. He is working at Wilkesbarre in Luzerne County, about 100 miles from heare. Dear Brother we received the two News Papers and the drawing that you sent, and we are mutch pleased with them. Thomas is going to have the drawing put in a frame. I was astonished to read about that part of the Country built up, I had no idea of so many iron works going on. I can see that there is rail roads in all that part of the Country.
I will commence now and tell you how business is in this part of the Country. I am very sorry to say it has improved very little since I wrote to you last. Thomas is working every day, and the Reading Rail Company pays more regular than what they did. but the business is very dull with them, fore thare is very little demand for coal, for thare is very few blast furnaces going and few roling mills going, so you can see that times is very Dull. But provisions still keep very high, Flour is the cheapest it is 6 Dollars per Barael. But everything else is dear.
We have a very good crop of Wheat and also of oats, for the weather has been remarkble fine for Harvisting. It has been so dry but I am afraid Potatoes and other vegetables will be very Dear for we have had no rain so long. For every thing is burnt up. and I see it stated in the papers that you have had it also hot weather with you, that is in some parts of England.
Dear Sister I send you a gold dollar in this letter. I beleave you have all received one. I would have sent you one after Brother John got his, but I thought it would best to send the children one, so you were left till last. So I hope you will accept this from your ever loving Sister.
I have nothing more at present except Thomas and Ann send there kind love to you all, and our love to all uinquiring Friends, and Acept the same your selves from your efectinate Sister,
Ann R Laing