Philip Burlingham to his wife Charity, 30 December 1870-1 January 1871

[This letter describes his good health, despite a sore arm, and the summer-like weather, and says he'll start for home, via San Francisco, in "three months and one day."]

Soapweed friday Dec the 30 1870 evening

Dear Wife1

Your kind and affectionate letter of the 18th inst came to hand tonight and I was glad to hear from you again and to learn that you and the children are enjoying a good degree of health. I am well as usual and have little doubt but what I shal continue so while I stay in this country. My health was never better than it has been since last July. But my arms and particularly my wright arm troubles me verry bad lately and I have all that I can doo many times to keep along with my work and not let them know how lame I am. But my arm troubles me more nights than it does days. It many times pains me so that I can't sleep for an hour or two at a time and then it will ease off and be quiet as need be the rest of the night. But don't give yourself any uneasyness about me for I am not apt to work when I am not abundantly able. I am doing well and I feel perfectly contented when I am at work but sundays and stormy days seem so long that I don't know what to doo with myself. But thank the good Lord there has not been any storm for the last 4 weeks or nearly that. The weather since last sunday has been more like summer than winter. There has been hardly a cloud to be seen for the last 20 days. It freezes a verry little nights and is verry warm in the middle of the day. O it is the most beutifull weather that I ever saw in my life in any country at this season of the year.

I got a letter from Martha2 tonight and shal try and answer it and writing to all 3 of you will occupy my leasure time pretty fully. And consequently you must not be disappointed if you receive a short letter. For I can write all that thare is of interest to write in a few words.

I have not heard from Phil3 since he left here some time since.

I am glad that you have got along with the taxes so easy. But are you sure that the Village lots are all paid. If thare is some of them that the taxes are not paid on it will make but little difference for they will returned and only 14 percent more than if they had been paid this winter.

You need not entertain any fear of my robing myself of anything that is calculated to make me comfortable for I certainly shall not doo it. I thank you for your wish to give me something to make a merry christmas. I did not get it to [__?__] Christmas but I have it now and it affords me cincere pleasure to receive letters from the loved ones in my distant home.

Three months and one day will probably end my stay at soapweed and when I leave here I shal go to San Francisco and that will take me from 2 to 3 days and then I shal calculate to start for home. I shal calculate to start from San Francisco direct for home. Tell the little girls and little George4 that father will bring them a lot of gurn if nothing more. This is the awfulest country for gum that I ever saw. I believe I could gather a bushel of clean gum in a day. I wish to be at home and should perhaps be homesick if it was not for the pleasant dreams of home and loved ones that occur to me evry night. I don't know that I have missed dreaming of home a single night in the last 6 months. And I always dream of being there and quite often dream that I have been to California and just got home.

Now Charity I want you to get evrything that you can find in the country to make you comfortable. Remember that the comforts of life is what we live for and if we don't enjoy the comforts of life that come within our reach we will find when it to late that we have lived in vain. Sukey5 writes me that you have gone to bed 2 nights befor she did but got up before she did so that thare is no certainty that you got a long nights sleep after all. Now since I have been in Cal thare has been but few mornings that I could sleep any if I tried to sleep after break of day. And I have hardly ever felt sleepy in the day time.

But I must stop for the night for my arm pains me pretty bad by being bent up so long. So Good bye Dear wife for this time.

Jan 1 1871. Good morning Dear wife. I wish you a happy new year. And I earnestly hope that it may be a happier year to both of us than the year that is just past. I will have to stop a little while let my nerves get a little steadier. I am glad to learn that the childrens sores are getting better and hope they will continue to do so until they are entirely well. I shall endeavor to answer all the letters I get and will doo so if I can find the time. Good Bye. Philip to Charity.

[Along the left margin, oriented 90 degrees from the body of the letter, is the following.]

I get my letters so dirty that I don't know as you can read them.

  1. Charity Mandana Phelps (1830-1914), Philip's third wife
  2. Martha B. Burlingham (1841-1921), Philip's daughter
  3. Philip M. Farnsworth (1824-1908), Philip's nephew
  4. George Allen Burlingham (1868-1948), Philip's son
  5. Susan Burlingham (1837-1923), Philip's daughter