Dear Mother

I received a Letter from you by last Steamer dated probably Dec 16^th as part of it was for Ann and Harris I forwarded it to them and have not the date of it. within two weeks I have spent one at Pacheco. business is dull in my department both in City and country as it usually is at this time of the year, and consequently have not much to do. In the mining country it is too cold to work in water and in Agricultural portions all are busy plowing and putting in their Crops. The ground for the last month has been in fine condition for Plowing and Sowing so Farmers are quite as busy as in harvest time. we have so few rains in harvest time so Farmers are only hurried to get their grain Cut which is all done by machines and of course done very quickly. I think from present prospects we will have a prosperous year for business. I hope so as the last two years on account of high prices for goods and various other causes have been hard on merchants. This year we will have goods plenty and cheap. Trade in this country is hard to keep the sum of. my plan is to always do plenty of business whether it pays or not, and then when a time comes when there is profit in trade I have a good chance I sometimes think I should do as well if I was not quite so ambitious but I cannot help it. I am not satisfied unless I am busy. My Blue times are when I have not much to do. It would nearly kill me to set about and attend to such a business as your Granville or Newark stores do. For instance a store there that has business enough for six to eight clerks will not sell any more goods in a year than we could do with two men. The difference is in peoples trading. people trade quick here or not at all. Harris and Ann are both well. I presume by this time W^m Hale is with you. we expect him to start back about 5^th February next. The money you wanted has been forwarded and no doubt been Rec ere this. In your last you make some explanations why you wanted it. That is unnecessary. do not go in debt, but send always in time when you want money I did intend to write to Jane and Sarah this mail but cannot now. Love to all. write often.

As ever yours

N. C. Fassett