[Nathaniel King m. Lydia Noyes in Bow, N.H. He was first Free-Will Baptist minister in Tunbridge, Vt. He died just two weeks after his old friend Simeon H.]
Copy of letter written to John and Eliza (King) Hunt of Antwerp, Mich. by their fathers Deacon Simeon Hunt and Elder Nathaniel King, and the younger sisters of John: Penelope, Ruth and Naomi Hunt.
[PDH was Penelope Dibble Hunt, b. Feb. 11, 1817. She married Lorin Roberts. According to a letter from her daughter Emma Robert Gould, she was a ____d for the sister of Simeon Hunt's first wife, Penelope (Cowdery) Dibble.]"Tunbridge, Vt. Mar 4, 1838
"Absent Brother and Sister: We received your letter and papers Feb. 8th with joy. and was glad to heer you so well pleased with your situation. Father's family is all well as common. I have lived at home most of the time this winter. I have gowed around the town some. I have had some good times. I have attended singing school on the hill, a verry full school (S. Waldew) teacher. We have had a verry good school in our district this winter, Abigail Hale of Chelsea, teacher. Ruth and Naomi attended school, and Caroline has attended the rocking chair as much as ever. Dudley's family is as well as common and Dudley has been to Boston this winter with a lode and talks of goin to Northfield this week. Burnham and his wife and Abigail have been down from Wolcott, they was well and all their family. They had just received a letter from you which they had with them. We had a good visit with them, considering all things. They went home last wek. Feb. 8, we had a old fahio vist to Father's. Nathaniel and Anedend (?) were here and Stodderd and his wife, James and his wife, Abel Bennet and his wife, Stephen Smith and his wife and two children from S. Springs, Lorenzo Mozley and his wife, Nathan Moxley and Lydia Gooding, and that was not enough, so I went after Clarissa, and she had Aunt Sanford and Eliza and her boy there for a visit, so Clarissa did not come. If she had, our Hunt relations would all have been there. There have been some deths in these parts. Mr. Ebenezer Williston of Norwich died in Jan. His mother went to the funeral and was taken sick there and died in about one week. So Priest Williston is left with wife or child. He lives alone. She that was Sarah Feltars, now S. Whitten's ded, died in Lowell and was fetched home and buried. John Sterns, and his wife of Chelsea is ded. Phebe Tuttle has had a girl and buried it. Charles has bought a buy, also Elijah and Ruth a girl. Aunt Sanford is smart and her mouth is full of baby talk. I guess she would be glad to see Harty. David Cowdery is married to Clarisa Tarbell and Wm. Tarbell is stepping up to Delia. George C.'s health is verry poor. Fitch is mart for hi and the rest of your Cowdery relations is well as common. Elder King's family is well as common. Sampson family is well. Hannah is verry smart, for hur. Susan likes living in Corinth best, and I expect she will go back there soon to live with Charles Bickford. He had been down a number of times to see hur. S. Gooding people are all well, also D. Putnam people are all well b t Abigail, her health is poor. She is not able to go out dors but is about the house. He said he had wrote to you twice and that they want an answer. Tell John Lincoln that Ruth is smart and has work gnough. I am a going to attend writing school 2 weeks in the center s.house Elder Sedlard teacher. I Hope I can write the next letter better than this."
On the same sheet is this letter from Simeon Hunt to this son John and daughter-in-law Eliza.
"I now set down to write to you to inform you that we are all well, threw the blessing of God. You rote to me to give you an account of Tuttle's affairs. He paid up the rent soon after it became due. We have tried to settle with him. I offered him one hundred dollars. Elder Goodele has offered eighteen hundred dollars for it, but we thin that it is best to let Tuttle stay until he will settle on reasonable terms. Wool is very low 2 shilling a pound. His wool is not enough to pay the rent. Sheep is not worj more than nine shilling a hand. No. buying or selling wool this year. As for crops, they are very good. Wheat is 9 shilling a bushel, corn vay plenty. Thousands of bushels on hand that cannot be sold at any price. Hay verry plenty, from 5 to 6 dollars a ton. Such a winter as this I never saw before in Vermont. The snow is about 3 inches deep, the most there has been this year. It is now a goin off. I have thought much about goin to Michigan since I received your letter. I think I could turn my property to money in a few years, I should be willing to go to Mich. if my health should be so good as it is now. I often dream of being with you. I rejoice to hear that Eliza is pleased with her situation and contented. Amos Noys appears to want to have Tuttle settle, but he is as far off as ever. The Elder and I shall try to save all of your property we can. I want to see the little children very much. I think of them often. It is a general time of health in this place. Daniel Cillay's wife sicj with the consumption. Nathaniel Hill is verry sich with the dropsy, people think he will not live 24 hours. Acenith Noys is alive yet but it is thought she cannot live long. She is entirely helpless. I suppose you have son Ormond's letter he rote in January. Give my love to Ormont and his family. No more at present. So I subscribe myself your father and friend til death."A postscript by Penelope was on the edges of the letter.
"The reason I have not rote before was, I was uniting Tuttle's motion that is slow. you no, Eliza, I have some news to tell you. Josiah (Pade) is married tonight to Ruth Swan. Today was town meeting day and I guess he got put in (hog honard). John, I will tell you about the town meeting. C.M. Lamb, town clerk, Amos Noys, constable, I. Lowgy, C.M. Lamb, selectmen. I. Hell, E. English, Spenser Smith, listers, Waymouth overseer of the porr. That is enough town business for me. No more at (?) I want to see you, especially the children, and I want to go there and see you too, if it is as fine as you tell for. I shall write again soon."
