Berkshire, VT  Feb 17 1856

Dear Amy

after Christian Salutation & friendly greeting I would inform you of our family affairs 
well my health has good for the most part of this tremendous cold and stormy winter I 
have shoveled snow a great deal  the snow is rising 5  feet thick and keeps increasing I 
have not laid down on a bed but once in five weeks  I slept on a lounge nights and took 
care of father  he is very troublesome nights  fancys himself  caried off into swamps and 
chasms and flying over treetops and huricanes and screams and hollors for help  and I 
have thus far taken all the care of him and have workd evry day and have been enabled to 
provide for him and me and Lele⁴ when he is at home  provisions are so tight that I 
cannot keep a boy and last week I lookd for you all the week  the reason why I did not 
write  but I shall not look for you again untill weather is more mild  the cold hangs in 
intensely  I hope you did not start last week  what made me look for you I dreamd about 
you 3 nights which is a thing I have not done in a year  but I am glad that god let me see 
you in my sleep if I am never to behold your face again when awake in reality  I keep 
your dogueratype⁵ on one of my sacred

the Widow Burleson was married to Horace Bigalow about 4 weeks ago and has had 
the painful duty to bury that good Sary Ann one week ago to day  Silas Nobles buried a child 
last week  I do not know which one  Mary Ann Chet is very sick  Mary Ann Sarah and 
babe have been very sick 7 or 8 weeks  unkle Ben is truly afflicted  he fetchd us a bushel 
of meal and it is good  aunt Mille has been quite sick but I heard yesterday that she was a 
little better  John Thompson is very unwell  been sick a week  his complaint is in his head 
I hired my heifer wintered and she is agoing to have a calf next summer  the old cow look 
very well  the hay is rather poor but we hope we have enough of it  I am rather unwell 
now with a cold lame back &c, but hope I shall not be dow sick  the winter is so tough 
that I have worried about you a great deal  but do be carful of your health as you can and 
pray much for me and pa  we do not pray so much as we ought to our selves but our 

 ^{1 Parents – William Galusha b: 1796, VT; occupation: minister; married 1825: Polly Larabee
      b: 4 Feb 1797,  Weathersfield, VT d: 8 Dec 1874, VT.
 2 Brother – Aaron Leland Galusha b: 14 Sep 1832, VT; married: Sarah Armstrong.
 3 Amy Melenda Galusha b: 16 Apr 1825, Berkshire, VT d: 9 Oct 1869, Berkshire, VT.
 4 Brother – Aaron Leland Galusha b: 14 Sep 1832, VT; married: Sarah Armstrong.
 5 daguerreotype}
 

whole trust is in god the rock of ages for his mercy endureth forever  his truth is firm his 
promises never fail
 

            Well Nin,  Mother says I must write to you but what to say  I dont know any thing 
further than that I am well and that my school will close in a fortnight from last night I 
wrote to Jane a week ago and mother has finished it to day  we have defered writing to 
you for we have expected you at home every day for three weeks  there was a young 
collegiate from Fairfax preached here last sunday and in the eavening he delivered an 
exhortation to the young People here and we give him a small collection  we have a very 
tough winter and I suppose you are not entirely exempt from it but we shall expect you 
home as soon as the wether and your circumstances will admit  it is getting dark and you 
must excuse my short epistle; Amy except [accept] my love as usual
 

                                                                         Lealand
 

we have had no preaching to day but Leland and Albert have gone to prayer meeting to 
night but it storms so that I should think there would not be many people  but I wish this 
place was in Lowell or that you could be here  it seems hard that I have raised so many 
children and cannot see one of them this winter  I recd a letter from Arvilla⁶ 2 weeks ago 
she said they were well and talkd of going to Bristol and I should not write until I heard 
from them again  give my love to any body that you love ... Miss Warner and Mrs 
Thomas or any one else that you love  when you write tell me if you know anything about 
John Frenchs folks how they get along  for aunt fanny wont say much about them to any 
one and she says that she dont hear from them very often

            Aola Hall came from Nashua⁷ a few weeks ago will return in March and Thirza 
will go back with her  Thirza is now in Richford to work in a tavern

                      Be this a Valentine to you
                      That truth and love be found anew
                      In breast so generous just and kind
                      And peace to tranquilize the mind
                      In every trial find relief
                      The love of Christ assuage thy grief
                      When you in ... feel the rod
                      Chastized and humbled by thy god
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                      From parents kindred friends most dear
                      Your lot is cast from year to year
                      yet mercy mingling with the woes
                      Makes light the stripes our quilt foregoes
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                      But firmly trust Gods promised word

 ^{6 Sister – Arvilla Galusha
 7 Nashua, New Hampshire.}
 

                      The we in flesh shall see the Lord
                      When flesh & heart shall fail on earth
                      We’ll claim the promise by our birth
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                      And sing redemtion by his blood
                      When we in flesh behold our god
                      A few more sighs and griefs are thine
                      E’er you with Christ in glory shine

                                            Polly L. Galusha

When I write to you my thoughts crowd in so fast that I do not know what to write first I 
hope you will answer this as soon as you can

[on the side]
this is from your ever affectionate Mother and best friend in this world  I am sorey the 
Lele was so barren when writing to you