Transcript
Transcript for Bell, Matthew F. to Dear father Mother Brethren & Sisters, 7 June 1852, in Bell, Robert, Correspondence 1852-1889, fd. 1
Dear father Mother Brethern & Sisters[.] I snatch this oportunity of droping you a few lines but I shall endeavour to be as short as possible as I expect we shall cross the Mis[s]ouri River and be out on the plains in the course of a few days and I [page torn] busy in [page torn] after the cattle and waggons as we have engaged to go through with a bro of the name [William] Westwood[.] I supose before this time you will have received our first letter[.] during our stay in St Louis I had good health but Jane [Metcalfe Bell] had not[.] she had the bowel complaint very bad[.] also she [had] the brisiplis [sic] in one of her legs[.] it sweled and went a very bad contour[.] we tried several ways to cure it but nothing seemed to do it any good till at last she said if she was healed at all it would be by the power of God[.] acordingly I anointed with oil in the name of Jeses [Jesus] and I beleive the evel that was preying upon her sistem [system] was rebuked from that time and we get along first rate and we love traveling very well[.] we can get as much milk every day as we can use for nothing[.] we are now about 100 miles out on the plains at a river called loup fork[.] here we met with Pres T[homas] Margetts and 5 others from the valey on mission to England and Italy so I have been huried to finish my letter and send it with them[.] they bring good news from the Valey and they tell us Susannah is married and Bro Moss geting along first rate[.] I saw Bro Johnson at the bluffs in good health looking well but I must conc[l]ude by saying that I drive an ox team[.] Jane subscribes with me in seending our kindest love to our father and mothers brethern and sisters and we shall be glad to see as many of you as can come next year to Valey as I feel glad I ever started your brother and sister in the Kingdom of God
Loup Fork June 25 1852.