Addressed to:Mr. Joseph Reescare of Mrs. Mary MichaelNo. 3, Allen StreetNew YorkAmericaCardiff Jan. 20/39Dear Children,I received your kind and affectionate letter on the 15th of December, 
believe me it was most gratifying to us, for we were apprehensive in 
consequence of the turbulence prevailing there that you had no means 
of forwarding one – but however great the joy which your letter infused in 
us, it was but on the 11th of December that we had the melancholy task 
to perform of committing little John’s body to the silent tomb – as fine and 
as noble a boy as any in the surrounding country – his father and mother, 
and indeed myself grief beyond measure after him, "but the way of the Lord 
is not our way, nor our thoughts his thoughts – his complaint was the 
Scarlet Fever, and one of such a sweeping nature has not been known here 
for many years – and I grieve to be thus necessitated to inform you, that in 
consequence of a severe cold which John, that is, Betsy’s husband, 
contracted when he came to Barry Island to fetch me, with the sad 
intelligence of the little boy’s not likely to survive until we reached home, 
and indeed such was the case, for John had not been gone an hour before 
life was extinct – you cannot pourtray the grief which overwhelmed me 
when I reached home, and found my dear boy a lump of clay – but to return 
to the cold which John caught when he came for me – the effects of it has 
since been, I am sorry to say, next to death itself – for he has been this 
month part confined to his bed with a violent attack of the Scarlet Fever 
himself, and been quite delirious, he is still confined to his bed, but very weak, 
and very little symptoms of recovery – the trials of this life are numerous, and 
Betsy and John have had their crosses to bear heavily upon them – God has 
different ways to try us, to prepare us for another state – it is to be hoped that 
we will not despise and over-grief at the dispensations of the Most High, but that 
we will humble ourselves and acknowledge him Lord of all = Mary and Philip 
came up to the funeral, and it was an occasion on which the whole town felt it, 
for he was a comely, quiet, and a lad in whom every body felt an interest = before 
I close I hope that you will be enabled to go through the trial which is before you, 
it is a trying time = and that you will please to forward this or write to your brother, 
and let us hear from you as soon as you are confined, my kind love to all, and 
believe me Dear Children, your affectionate Mother = Florence ThomasNew handwriting –Send us an occasional Newspaper – I will send in return.  Best respects to all – 
yours Peggy Philip DavidNew handwriting –Dear Brothers and sisters
It is with joy unspeakable that I join with my dear mother to write a few lines to 
you trusting with the help of God that you are all well and recovered from your 
late journeys (?).  I was deeply grieved to know of your poor dear husband’s 
sickness but as you observed in your last letter that the Lord (unreadable word)
affliction so that we should know ourselves (even [unreadable] from his 
Sovereign hand are blessings in disguise) and what happiness it would be for us 
if we could bear with these.  Dear sister I am rather surprised that we have not 
heard from my brother it is some time since we have had a letter from him tender 
my kindest love to him wife and children now that the great (unreadable word) is
(unreadable line) was nothing said about little peggy in your last letter I suppose
you have forgotten all about her (unreadable lines) her youngest daughter is called
peggy after her grandmother and aunt.  (back of page) I cannot help remarking to
you again about my dear sister Betsey’s little boy (unreadable words) not a
(unreadable word) child will (unreadable word).  Mother called him the pride of
Llantrisant for he was a perfect gem.  I am sorry to tell you that my brother john is
not likely to be very prosperous in his last undertaking that is by taking Bary Island 
= very strange I never hear anything from the children at Bridgend and you even write to
them you ought to for you know that they are very friendly (?) = dear sister I
have very (unreadable word) to communicate to you only that Cardiff is getting an
immense size I supose you not heard that they have built a fine new market
place at Bridgend and getting a very improving place = dear sister (unreadable
words)kind love to you all and the children of thine relations in Wales may God
bless you all my dear sister from your affectionate sister