Health of family, Death of John Alexander, Abundance of crops

Cool Spring, Ky
April 3rd

Mr. James Gleaves
Wythe City
Virginia
Mail)

March the 31 1838
State of Kentucky, Warren County

Dear Mother, after a long time wateing for a letter from you I have goten inm patient for one and have com to the conclustion to write to you once m(ore) lakeing(?) that time is not past with (unreadable) altho it has been a long time since I have herd from you my heth is better than it was some years ago but I am weakly yet and expect to remane so[. O]ur famaly is in tollarable heth at this time[.] Nathan has not had his helth so well for the last to or three years as he use to. [W]e hope this will find you all well[. W]e have had some sickness in our family the last year. James Turk Allen was taken sick the first day of July and has not got well yet but he has got so that he has started to school and I am in hopes that he will get well[.W]e had have the misfortune loose our son-in-law Elexander.[ H]e departed (obliterated to end of page)

. . . soon have gras plenty we han a fine crops last year[.  W]e have at this time gran in abundance[.  We have just sold one hundred bushels of wheet and court spare one hundred barrels of corn if we could get soil for it[.]  I have not herd from sister Margaret lately but she was well the last account old Mother Allen was well as stout as could be expected of a person of her age[.  W]e have had a very helthy winter and spring so far[.]  Mother, I cannot see you but would be great to see you but it appears we will not meet on earth but I hope we well meet where the weary is at rest.  Sistre Nancy, I still feel like I want to hear from you and would be glad of a letter from you[.  W]rite to me and will answer it.  Brother James, I have wateed a long time for a letter from you[.  T]he last letter I received (obliterated) know the reason (obliterated)

[signature of writer cut off by torn bottom]

Notes:
This is the original image of the back side of this one sheet of paper letter. It includes both the envelope for the letter and the last page of the letter. This page was cropped and edited for the above images.