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Stuben Ia Dec 2nd 1856Dear Brother and Sister

we now embrace the opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you of the health of our family which is tolerable good at present and hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessing Brother Shepards family were well the last that we heard from them he is in Ohio teaching School about 8 miles from home Lyman is a pedling books and preaching he gets 16 dolls per month and is found Brother Shepard has built him a house this summer he has not got it finished so as to move into it yet we live about ten miles from them I have but one child he will be eight years old next May he is a large stout boy of his age we buried our youngest boy two year ago last May with

the hooping cough he died the day he was two years old Brother Shepards folks have the oldest of children with them Verona has no children she has burried one we have had a good deal of sickness since we came to Indiana but for the last two or three years we have enjoyed tolerable health although it is a sickly country we think of leaving here next fall and going to Illinois for all that has kept us here [    ] years was having so much sickness that it was as much as we could do to bring the year around and land is so dear here now that a poor man has no chance to get any farms here that are in a good state of cultivation with good buildings on them sell for 25 to 30 dollars per Acre and wild land

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for 8 and 10 dolls per Acre we have had a verry dry summer here this year and spring crops were light wheat is 1,12 1/2 cents per bushel Corn and potatoes 37 to 40 per bushel and other things in proportion Cattle are not in as good demand as they were last year sheep are worth more than last year horses about the same but not as ready sale money scarcer and harder to get hold of wages about the same the hay crop tolerable good I am wintering a yoke of Oxen two Cows two two-year-old heifers 2 yearlings four Calves 1 colt and 29 sheep I have 129 sheep 2 cows and calves let out and provision enough to make us comfortable but not as well as Brother Shepard

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he is independent as any man need to be but he as well as myself is a getting old and we shall soon finish the work alotted to us in the world and the church and if faithful shall receive the crown that is laid up for the children of God and if we never meet again in this world we may in heaven where parting seasons will be over and we bask forever in the light of God countenance and drink full draughts of pleasure in Give our love to Sister Lydia and Husband and tell them to write to us Give my respects to all enquiring friends and relatives I will close for the present for the want of room

Lemuel & Matilda Colton

office address Pleasant Lake Stuben Ia