[Lowell]⁴ Nov 11 1859

Dear Sister

I beg pardon for neglecting you so long but I have no time for anything but I will not fill my 
small sheet with apologies but try to do better in the future  I send you all the best patterns I can 
find  the open sleave I do not think you will like for winter but evening dresses are made so very 
much here  they trim with velvet and moire antique mostly  the waists are slim and have no 
bodice  the double skirt is worn very much this fall and pattern skirts all the rage  bonnets are 
mostly with red ribbon [trime] bound with some other color with a bow on one side near the top 
and feathers or flowers on the other  rosettos are worn on the hair now more than any thing else 
these are generly made of black-velvet and red satin ribon altho many wear black and blue

I am sorry that you moved up the hill I don’t see what made you when you know that I came 
here on purpose to let you have the house thare to live in  I knew when you talked of going thare 
that you would not like the job of bringing water so far but I hope that you wont be sick  give my 
love to George and all the friends

                                                             A.M. Galusha

Vill I have been ... and got you some trimming  ... pink it is ... than velvet

Dear Mother

     I will now write a few lines to you and then close I am very well now  my cold did not 
last but a day or two and I got better and have not had any more I am getting along first rate with 
my music I am learning very fast now  I hope that in a year I shall be able to play with ease and 
[pleasure ?]  I hope that you will not work too hard  do not try to sew so much  I am afraid that 
you will not get along any better than you would to take life a little easier do try to get along 
without working so hard  but when L⁵ is gone you will not have him to look after  give my love 

 ^{1Amy Melenda Galusha b: 16 Apr 1825, Berkshire, VT d: 9 Oct 1869, Berkshire, VT.
  2Sister – Arvilla Galusha
  3Mother – Polly Larabee b: 4 Feb 1797, Weathersfield, VT d: 8 Dec 1874, VT; married 1825: 
     William Galusha b: 1796, VT; occupation: minister.
  4Lowell, Massachusetts.
  5Brother – Leland Aaron Galusha}
 

to Maryett and Sarah Armstrong and tell my friends I am sorry that youre meetings are running 
down so  I was afraid that would be the case as soon as the men [wore off ----] the meeting house 
you ought to see our meeting house  as big as four of youres and filled to over flowing evry 
sabbath chris Clough⁶ has gone home to be gone till after Thanksgiving and I am alone now 
much of the time  excuse the poor writing for I am in such a hurry that I don’t even know what I 
am about

                                                                   A. M. Galusha

[on cover]
Arvilla C. Orcutt
Berkshire, VT

  ^{6Maria Clough b: 1828, England; occupation: mill worker; boards: Merrimack Mills #100.}