Transcribed from a hand written letter with attempts to keep spelling, punctuation, etc. as near to as it appears as possible.

Addison, July 7th 1862

Dear Uncle & Aunt--
          A long time has passed since we recd. your kind letter and I much acknowledge our negligence of answering it. My health is decidedly better than when I wrote you last; it seems to agree with me to live in Vermont. I think of returning to my Illinois home in Sept. or Oct. and should be happy to comply with your request in regard to visiting you on my way, but circumstances will not permit me to do so. I expect to feel very lonely another Winter keeping house all alone with the exception of my two little boys who will probably attend school if they are well. It will seem very differently from the past Winter seemed, but we must have the bitter mingled with the sweet or we should not know how to appreciate the pleasures of this life, if any there be.
          Last Friday the 4th we had a Snake Mountain excursion, it was estimated by some that there was two thousand people there, we had Canon and martial music, Pa was one of the musicians; each family carried their own basket of dinner. Some eat from temporary tables of boards while many eat from the table of Rocks in the shade of the trees. A recruiting officer was there trying to get volunteers for the army; Cousin Myron Clark says he would like to go, Aunt Harriet does not like to hear him talk about it. Brother Albert says he wants to go but I hope he never will, I don't know but it would kill Pa and Ma if he should; you may think him rude by his writing, nevertheless he is good and a fun-loving fellow, that is all. Ma says tell Aunt to come and take tea with us some afternoon. It is excessively warm at present, we have had some rain for a few weeks past, but the forepart of the season was very dry, consequently crops are light. Pa & Albert are hoeing potatoes.
          Aunt Meriam is quite feeble yet smart for one of her years, she is 88 years old; She visited here last May, is very deaf and walks about the house with a acne. Mr. Spaulding still remains on her farm; they are well I believe. Edrick and his wife also live there.
          Please write soon and oblige. Your niece, Lc. A. Rose

Identification of Those Named Above:
Cousin Myron Clark - Son of Isaiah, Jr. & Harriet Stickle Clark; b. 1842 and Died in the Civil War July 3, 1863
Aunt Harriet - Harriet Stickle Clark (b. 1797) Myron's Mother
Brother Albert - Horace Albert Stickle; b. 1844; married Elvira Whitford, dau. Julia
Lc. A. Rose - Lucy A. Stickle Willmarth Rose (later Lamb & Brimmer) dau. of Charles & Amelia Fisher Stickle, born 1830, Addison, VT