Bement Piatt Co Ill^s June 23, 1856

My dear Wife

        Your esteemed letter of the 19^th came to hand to me here this afternoon--Monday. I was very glad to hear again but was not really looking for a letter this afternoon. I notice you are rather lonely and almost impatient to see me once more at home, but never mind take the word for the deed, I shall get home by & by--next week    I hope if nothing prevents    I wrote you yesterday from Decatur but as you have been so prompt I will write you again today   I have nothing very special to write but can find something--I am glad to hear that Miss Ellen¹ has two such pretty kittens she must think a good deal of. I wish I could get a small pet to take her from here, they are a very mischievous & a very pretty pet, it is a young deer but I doubt whether I can find one if I should undertake, tho, they frequently catch them in this country and they are very affectionate and pretty playthings, the Doctor² just tells me--he thinks he can help me catch some or get some one that will, but don't know as any such thing will happen, it will do to tack about to gratify Miss Ellen-- Will tell you what I have been about to day. Came down here in the cars this morning about 20 mi^s from Decatur, went immediately to work on the Reapers to fix them up for our work to day have been out in the sun all day & its awful hot I assure you. We finally got the reaper to work. They are drawn by 4 Horses--making 8 Horses to two reapers. We just got them to work so as to know they would work in the field tomorrow    we shall then probably have 15 or men in the field to take care of the grain as fast as it is cut, these machines may cut 20 acres a day, they cut the Grain and lay it all in piles for binding up--this may not interest you but you will Edward³, if it does not him it will Grandpa    it will [take?] 15 days or so before we shall get thro.
I am seated on the bed in Joseph's⁴ Back room--the Bed Room--writing with my carpet bag in my lap for a table and the sweat runs off my face it is so hot and this will account for the scribbling of my letter. If you should happen to have the blues when you commence you will get all over it before you can decipher this letter-- Jos. says he shall have about 20 hands tomorrow. I don't believe I shall stir myself so much tomorrow as I have today but don't know but I shall. Joseph has kept pretty still to day as he has had the ague tho he hasn't had it very bad yet. I may get time to look up a Girl on my way home, but you need not [hesitate?] taking one if you have an opportunity to get one before I get home. I have taken off my flannel to day    Could not stand it with it on    I am getting some washing done, put on a clean shirt this morning but it is far from it now. I am very well    never felt better than I have since I have been out here, tho I don't forget my family at home
I believe I must draw this epistle to a close    I hope you will all get along some how till my return
      I will write you again I hope on Thursday of this week. I hope you will receive this by Friday night of this week and that it will find you all well as usual
                Your aff Husband
                      L Bodman jr.

I will lay aside my sheet tonight and I may write a little more in the morning before this goes
      Thursday morning June 24, 1856   It is now 1/2 past 6 a.m. the boys have just started out for the wheat field & I write a line now in this sheet    I thought of going up to the Doctors this morning & tell Sis I don't know but I shall go out into the Prairie & see if I can't catch a small deer, but I don't think I shall have much luck. I find on looking into the Glass I am pretty Black but never mind I shall whiten out when I get home. I slept in the chamber at the House last night, the room is about as large as the open chamber at Fathers, there were some five beds in the room--pretty thick and just about as hot as it would be in our Garret at home   I made out to sleep pretty well
                Your aff. Husband
                       L Bodman jr.

As to Wool tell Martin Whitney the market is improving. I think his wool worth about 25¢ if it was washed on the sheep 37 ½ don't know but more but will talk this matter over when I get home. --now I have got thr.^o
                       L B jr

General note:   For the most part, transcripts retain the author's original spelling, abbreviations, underlining, capitalization, and punctuation (or lack thereof).  Transcriber's comments, changes or additions are in brackets.