Salem, Washington Co 



NEW YORK 



Oct HJtb U25 



Dear mr Deane, 



I clc net know if jcur brother wir Rithven has told 

 you of my dear sisters illness, so I will do so myself, 

 1 should have written you sooner but have been neart- 

 braken as well as very busy,Deedee was striken on the 

 12th of Sept with a fever which proved to come from an 

 abscess near her spine, she attemped t^ get up that night 

 and had a bad fall striking her head and injuring her ar 

 arm and back, since she has been confined to her bed and 

 her wonderful mind is clouded and often wholly gone, it- 

 is pitiful to sit by her as I do hours a day and listen 

 to her wandering speech, she suffers some pain ,and is 

 very tired and weary ,mercifully ai §he still knows us ,j do 

 not think I could endure what I living through if she 

 fiil«dte regognize my voice, the Doctors of whom I have 

 had four one a specialist Dr Sordini er from Troy say she 

 will never be any better or leavr her bed ,but that she 

 may with her marvellous constitution continue as she now 

 is for some weeks or even longer. I pray hourly that God 

 in his mercy will soon free her from her bodily pain and 

 mental suffering for at times I know she realizes her 

 condition for she puts her hand to her head and says " m 

 my head is no good any more" she cries a great deal from 

 weakness ,but is always loving and gentle. I cannot bear 

 the thought of parting from her and yet I pray she may 

 be taken, the two things seem impossible , When Deedee leav 

 es me I shall be desolate indeed and litfe will have lit- 

 tle for me af ter^eventeen years of caring for her. 

 I hope you wilf that strength may be given me for what 

 lies before me and I may be able to keep up until the en 

 end cf y siste«s need for me. Ihope the Autumn is proving a 



