Great Salt Lake City, October 26, 1851

My dear but only Husband [Elder Erastus Snow 1818-1888] .

Again do I seat myself to address you by letter and quite probably it will be the last one I shall write you in England as the November mail no doubt will be the last one that will leave this place this fall, and it is a matter of doubt with some whether that one goes through or not but we have had very pleasant wether [weather] for some length of time and it still continues and I think there is no doubt but it will go through without much difficulty, and if you leave in the spring (as no doubt but you will as you leave we will receive a call from the Presidency to return next season. brother Willard [Willard Trowbridge Snow 1811-1853] probably will be the bearer of the message to you and the sound thereoff [thereof] is no [not] [a] very unpleasant one to me I assure you. and no doubt will be readily complied with by you, there will not many letters reach you in England before you will leave, and it will be others [other's] turn to write instead of mine, and this is why I think this will be the last one I shall write, I will tell you as yet we are all numbered among the living and in the enjoyment of good health from the oldest to the youngest, and I truly hope at this time that you can say that the Lord daily bestows this great blessing [on] you, for being deprived of this blessing the most part of the past summer when I come [came] to be in the enjoyment of it again I appreciate its worth more than ever. there are many droping [dropping] away although it is considered to be a general time of health and it is, yet there seems to be a kind of pestilence prevailing among our sisters many of them die in child birth, what is the cause is a wonder to most every one, the companies have all got in, the last train came in yesterday which was Thomas Williams [William's] merchant train, there has been no sickness on the road this season as there was last, we received your last letter October first the day that our mail left the valley and also the note accompanying it, after a few days I got brother William [William Snow 1806-1979] to accompany me, we first went to brother Reece [Reece's] store, ther [there] is a man by the name of Middleton that owns the store now, it is the man that brother Reece was in debt to, br. [brother] Middleton attached the goods brought them on to the Valley and is a [sic] selling them out himself, as for brother Wooleys [Wooley's] store or the church store as it is called, the things that I needed for family use was [were] not there as the hands that work on the publick [public] works draw them out as fast as they are put in, we therefore went to Mr. Livingstons [Livingston & Kincaid] store, the only objection raised was the draught was to [too] small an amount for so great a distance, he said the brokers would not be troubled with it, he said he would take a draught of two hundred dollars, your brother Z Snow [Zerubbabel Snow 1809-1888] was in the store, he and William [William Snow 1806-1979] , they both advised me to do so that is send an order for two hundred, I objected not knowing your circumstances thinking probably it might distress you to raise the means and as I was not particularly in want of any more, and more than all I would rather you would have the means to lay out in St Louis [St. Louis, Missouri], but Zera [Zerubbabel Snow 1809-1888] said what little he knew of you if you wanted any thing you always had it and if you wanted two hundred you could get it just as easy as you could one hundred, and told me to do as he said and he would stand between me and all harm, if there had have [sic] been no one to used [use] the means, but myself and children, I should not have drawn one cent but as you wished it to be divided among so many I thought perhaps there might be some feelings if I did not manage some way to get it, therefore what I have done I done [did] quite contrary to my own feelings and if it is wrong forgive me and not give me a chance to do the like again, I have drawn one hundred half money and half goods and paid about 25 dollars out for debts and divided the rest equally amongst the family according to your directions the other hundred I shall not break into untill [until] you return unless I can turn it to a good advantage in getting materials to build with, we had one of the best conferences in september [September] that I ever attended. I suppose you will receive the minutes of the same before this reaches you brother O Pratt [Elder Orson Pratt 1811-1881] arrived Oct 4 in time for the conference on the sixth which held one day only I have called to see them twice it seems good to see those who have beheld your face in a foreign land Sister Pratt [Sara Marinda Bates (Pratt) 1817-1888] often spoke of the visits she had with you and says she never enjoyed visits better in her life. the presents you sent us have all arrived safe they are very nice indeed I am well pleased with your selection the shall [shawl] I have not seen but Sister Pratt [Sara Marinda Bates (Pratt) 1817-1888] has it in her possession the ring is a beautiful one but it is all of a quarter to [too] large for me I have taken it to the most finished workmen [workman] in the city he says it cannot be made to fit my finger without entirely spoiling it unless it is made over new and the stones set anew. the cost of it would be ten dollars [$10.00] and [I] have concluded to lay it away to look at and think of the giver or keep it reserve [reserved] for you provided you will bring me another a ring that would fit your little finger is quite to [too] large for me the people seem to be prospered and blessed here temporally as well as spiritually buildings are being erected on the right hand and on the left, and some very nice ones a house one story high is a rare sight, nothing less than two story is considered any house attall [at all], our old house looks as though it had ought to sink into oblivion by the side of br Eldridge on the other corner, ours is about tumbling down I think if we spend this winter in it will be the last one we will be able to spend, I suppose Elizabeth [Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby (Snow) 1831-1915] wrote you that Willard [Willard Trowbridge Snow 1811-1853] was on his way to England he received his appointment at the September conference he called a family meting [meeting] before he left they were held three evenings in sucsession [succession] I never saw a greater manifestation of the two spirits in any place in my life than I did ther [there] if you see Willard [Willard Trowbridge Snow 1811-1853] he will tell you all about it, But what shall I say [?] shall I say I am sorry the time is drawing nigh that you will again be in our miast [midst][?]. No far be it from that there is one more dreary winter before us and I hope it is the last one we will have to spend for the present at least without the society of a husband and father to help pass away the lonely hours, although I expect to spend many a winter without your society but I hope the scene will be changed for a little while I think I for one shall know how to appreciate your society if I am permitted to ever enjoy it again the children often tell each other it is on the last year their Father will be home this year. you say to Minerva [Minerva White (Snow) 1822-1896] that the place she occupies in your heart is not supplied by any other one if mine is I hope it is supplied by a better one for I know there are a great many better women than I am and you can get many who will treat you far better than I do. I suppose you think some times [sometimes] when you are at home that love and affection for you has fled but it has not it is all there it is only concealed for a little while to let the old fellow have [a] chance to show himself but overlook all my evil propensites [propensities] and the weaknesses of human nature forget the past and I will try to do better for the future ther [there] are no vacant corners in my heart to be supplied by any one [anyone] but my own dear husband and children I often amuse myself in thinking that I shall see you a coming home with a parcel of those chattering danes around you whose talk to us will be like the pratling [prattling] of the geese to gander it will be a verry [very] good idea to get women of other nations and tongues for if we cannot understand each other we cannot quarrel but enough of this for I have no room to write any more I do not know as I have much more news that will be interesting to you brother [Howard W. ?] Egan has had his trial for killing Monroe and been acquitted. tall [?] times we have here, Our Territorial officers have all gone to the regions from whence they came excepting one of the Indian agents and your brother Zera [Zerubbabel Snow 1809-1888] he seems to be getting along first rate but its no go with her yet she is bound to go back she does not see how people can have a face to go out and preach to the people and bring them to such a hole as this the Presidency with many others are now gone on a trip to the different valleys and settlements abroad not long since I attended a Social party at the bath house we had a first rate time the President [Elder Brigham Young 1801-1877] told me to say to you that we had a first rate good dance togather [together] and that there was no man on the earth that he could speak more comforting to than he could to you directly he brought along a glass of Champain [champagne] I drank part of it and requested him to drink the rest in remembrance of you he done [did] so you see we do not quite forget you in our hours of meriment [merriment]. no far be it from that then is the time I often think of you and think how well you would enjoy yourself if you were present and I to [too] far better than I do now, you wished us to write if there were any articles that we wanted and make mention of them I will mention a few that I want if you have means to get them but cut your garment according to your cloth I would [like] for you to bring a small sized cook stove for I have not had much benefit of the one we now have and it is pretty well worn to [too] and also fethers [feathers] for a bed and some crockery for we are quite destitute plates here are only 50 cts [cents] apeice [apiece] and everything else accordingly a box of soap and a zink [zinc] washboard, the girls wishes [wish] a few extra pounds of feathers to replenish their beds, feathers are a dollar [a] pound and none to be had at that as for groceries you need not bring but a verry [very] little tea and coffee for we have resolved to keep the word of wisdom but the more sugar and fruit 3 pounds of dried apple is all I have had since you left home as for clothing get what you think we most need for hardly anything in that line will come amiss the girls say they think our dresses are a little nicer than anything else we have to ware [wear] with them they think we ought to have some summer shalls [shawls] and bonnets to make a suit correspond but do as you please get yourself a plenty of clothes first dress the head first and so on down to the feet be sure and get a plenty of nails to build with for they are a scarce article here Sarah says tell Father she wants a white dress and a parasol Mahonri [Mahonri Moriancumr Snow 1847-1913] wants a nice cap and Artimesia [Artimesia Snow (Woolley Seegmiller) 1849-1925] a box of candy She thinks that would suit her taste best I need not caution you to lay in for plenty of flannel and small figured calico for I suppose by the time you get to St Louis you will bee [be] making such large calculations that you will lay in for a quantity of those articles however I do not expect to want any of those articles myself but you no [know] I have to be a kind of catts [cat’s] paw for rest to get the things they expect to want Malissa [Mellisa Diantha Snow (Clinton) 1826-1903] says she wants you to bring her boy a present for his name bring mother a present for she has been kind to me since you have been gone all of your connexion [connection] are as well as usual I guess I had better stop writing before I get such a messed up mess of it that you cannot read any of it if Charles [Charles Beal Westover 1827-1919] wants you to bring him any thing I expect he will write it and also the girls if they want any other things than I have mentioned this from your true and affectionate wife A. Snow [Artimesia Beman (Snow) 1819-1882]