[Written vertically under the date:] Maud, Willie and Nellie are standing an examination for promotion they will be through tomorrow.

Dear Father,

You will think I am long in writing to you as I supose² you are anxious to hear how we are getting along the reason I have not written to you sooner was I have been waitting to see what John and minie [Minnie] was going to do so I could tell you John has made up his mind to go and take the baby to Mrs. Hicks his wife sisters they are goeing on thursday if all is well minie is going to Mr. Puckridges next weak when Mrs. Tuck wrote for her I adised [advised] her to go at once but herself and Alice thought Mrs. Tuck could wait until after new year and Mrs. Tuck was obliged to get another girl so she sent her Minie word she could stay untill she had her visit when she wanted her she would send her word [.] I did not say a great deal about it as I thought minie might think she was not welcome home and Alice thinks there is plenty at home for them all and they are all entitled to share as it is grandpas money that keeps us she also thinks it a very heartless thing to turn poor little alfred out doors when she is certain twenty-five cents a weak will pay his keep I would sooner keep him for nothing when you write will you be kind enough to tell me what would be reasonable for me to charge John for himself and baby we have done their washing and mending also I am willing to take what you think right and it will be a great satisfaction to me if you will [?] how much a weak I should charge him he has always charged us for every thing I am certain he has never given us one dollar in the eight years I have lived in the family and if his poor pa was not able to work he sent him home [.] John has been very agreeable since he has been here he has had every thing he wanted good board and everything comfortable he earned a few dollars working at the bridge but has given us nothing yet but I expect he will some time pay for his board he has not given minie anything for what she has done for him she took care of Mrs. John when she was confined with little alfred and and [sic] was there two or three month at Hattie³ death he has given her nothing yet and minie is so good she will not say one word she needs a coat and some other things she is a good sensible girl and I feel for her she is so much like her poor pa

I do hope there will be nothing in this letter that will anoy you I felt very bad when I got your letter to think that my letter troubled you I hope it may never be so again I hope you will forgive all such I do not entend to greave you but I have no one to talk to but you about family affairs

I do hope there will be nothing wrong in this letter the children are all well we had a fire in the pantry last thursday morning it did not do much damage

[T]he children all unite with me in kinds love to yourself and all hopeing this may be a happy new year to you we hope to be remembered in your Prayrs.

I am as ever your Affectionate

Daughter in law Maria [Mudge] Baker

¹ The letter is dated as Dec. 8, 1878, but this may have been a mistake on Maria's part as the context of the letter clearly indicates. Maria is asking what to charge John P. Baker for rent and she writes about "the children" (her stepchildren) as though she has custody of them. However, as of June 1878, Rev. Baker had cut off financial support to Maria and removed his grandchildren from her care (W3230). For more details, see W3155.

² Errors have been preserved during transcription. Any changes made to punctuation are indicated by [ ]. For ease of reading, we have omitted most of the usual [sic] indications for errors.

³ Hattie here is John P. Baker's deceased wife, not his sister by the same name.