Millbury³ Sept 14th 1845 

Dear Father Mother Brother & Sister 

I have waited a long time for a letter from some of you. . .and now I ask the reason why. I 
fear you are sick—if you are why do you not let me know it. I have written you 2 letters 
before this since I have heard from you. 

My health is very good indeed. My work is very hard and I get some tired. Mr. Waters is 
building a house this summer which makes the family much larger than usual. You surely 
cannot blame me for leaving the factory so long as I realized that it was killing me to 
work in it. I went to the factory because I expected to earn more than I can at housework. 
To be sure I might if I had my health. Could you have seen me att the time or a week 
before I came away you would advised me as many others did to leave immediately. I 
realize that if I lose my health which is all I possess on earth or have eny reason to expect 
to posess that I shall be in a sad condition. I want to see you all and proberbly shall in the 
course of a month or two. I want you should write immediately and tell all the news you 
can think of. What is Haselton up to? Henry told me that Daniel is married. There is one 
case of the small pox in this part of town and we shall think it very strange if there is no 
more. We have very dry weather here. It rains to day and is very cold. There was some 
frost on the ground Saturday morning…God grant that I may be steadfast, unmovable, 
and meet you all in heaven. 
 
Sarah H. Rice
   
 
^{1Sarah “Sally” H. Rice b: 23 Jan 1821, Somerset, VT 
    d: 15 Jul 1904, Rochdale, MA; parents: Hazelton Rice 
    and Rhoda Stone; married 1847: James M. Alger b: 1818, 
    Worcester, MA; James worked: Railroad engineer.
    At the age of seventeen, Sally Rice left the small farm in Dover, 
    Vermont, on which she had been raised, to strike out on her 
    own. Over the next several years, her letters to her family tell 
    us, she supported herself and tried to save a little money working 
    as a domestic “help,” doing housework and, at least for a short 
    time, in a textile mill.
  2Excerpted by Old Sturbridge Village.
  3Millbury, Massachusetts.}