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David BERRY to JH BERRY  Oct 26" 73

Dear son & Daughtor / I after so long atime gladly imbrace the oppertunity of writing you afew lines this sabath Evening to inform you all that we are all well at the presant time so fare as I [k]now / hoping these few lines may reach you and find you all [---] same like blessings / JH I have not [---] you in along time and I think it [---] I will git one when I go to town [---] receved a lampasses news papor prin[ted] on the 9 of Oct 73 / we do not [k]now who it is but we guess it to be our loving son and Brother JH }} we had [a] good Meeting at Ebenezer / Brother Livingston is our preacher this yeare / he has only one more round / 18 or 19 joind at our protracted meeting } at the baptist church they had a good joyafull time at the head of the Tanyard branch named Sardes church / corn crops is short in Fayette Co. / corn is worth one Dollar per bushel from the heap / WS made agood crop of corn / RBF made a good crop of cotten & corn / him and Puss rushed ahead this yeare / me & HK made the old crib but half full and one bail of cotten & afine chanch of potatoes / I shall have to sell one of my mules or morgan and Dolly if I can and by corn / I cant winter 5 head / AW Did not make much of [a] crop but has money to by with / we had an Election for the removel of the court house / the location was between me and WS / East side the rockey branch and the West side of Newriver / beat us and we cant move it } my son I shed tears to think of you all much more when I rite to you all / I had to quit and go off awhile }   turn over

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Well JH I will say some thing about the Granger Meeting for I dont know much a bout em / but they had ameeting last wensday up here at Sardes Church and organised abody there / ther is 5 they say in Fayette Co granger lodges and it is said to be the best institution that has ever bin for the laboring class the farmers it is said / to put down speculation Each member makes out his bill of articles such as he wants and makes up his purse of money to pay for them and one man goes to wheare they are manufactred and by them / put them on the [train] cars and come with them to the nearest point / I beleave I will join them / it take $5 Dollars to on for the anisa ation fee }

I understand old unke Billey is agoing to come back / times is verry hard here / Rashens scarse / cotton 12½ cts per pound / coffey 2½ lbs to the dollar and cant be had at that / it is so darke I cant see the lines }} November 1 the day on Saturday / a very Big frost this morning / John H your aunt Polley BOX Died in September last / I Reseved your letter last Evening and was very glad to here of you getting happy in the lord for ablessing is worth every thing else to our immortal souls / and I pray god that he will bestow abless-ing on you as long as you live in this unfrindley world / To Wm L LONG / your Mother receved aletter from you last evening and w_her of grate overflow at Lampasses / JH I would like to have bin at your house and talked with you & EC and ate watter millions / I must close for this time / write soon and oftain / David & FE BERRY

To JH & EC BERRY good by