78 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



I remembered, as did your mother, yesterday as the 25th 

 anniversary of your birthday. Today the 4th, the roar of 

 distant cannon and the prancing of horses and rattling of 

 buggy wheels ushered in the anniversary of American Inde- 

 pendence the 79th. While I write, Abby is at the piano play- 

 ing and singing "Mary at the Savior's tomb." Annah can 

 do the same, Esther Amelia is improving quite well, only 

 wants practice and some further instruction to be able to give 

 lessons to others. Elizabeth, poor lame girl, is taking lessons 

 from Esther and makes some proficiency. Gilbert and Eliza- 

 beth took a homemade dinner today with father and mother, 

 and the twins, and hired man and girl, — had our first dish 

 of green peas, planted 26th April. Abby and Annah send 

 their love to Brother Samuel, would be glad to see him, as 

 would all of us. I hope you may next fall return in safety, 

 and find a good situation. Be useful and happy in time, 

 blessed in eternity, is the prayer of your parents and friends. 

 Our love to Stephen A. and wife, would write to him could I 

 find anything to interest him. I am not capable of writing 

 other than business letters, and poor at that. Affectionately, 



A. A. Johnson. 



(S.W.J. TO A. A. J.) 



Carlisle, England, 



July 25th, 1855. 



Dear Father, — . . . Instead of writing anything about the 

 Show here on this greasy paper, I will mail this week two or 

 three papers containing an account of the performances, and 

 leave the folks to read the Country Gentleman for what little 

 I scribble about it. I am stopping at a nice Temperance House 

 and pay $1.25 pr. night for lodging. Many people are paying 

 twice that money, and I was charged that at the place I first 

 applied. I shall probably go from here to Edinburgh, thence 

 to London and to the Ag. College of Cirencester, and sail in 

 3 or 4 weeks. 



