teshert and i thaught i aught to write this down becaus i might die.
people do die of scarlet fever, i wonder if ennyone wood read it if i
did die. ennyway father said once that a boy whitch was born to be hung
never wood die in enny other way, so i gess i am all rite. ennyway i
aint going to wright ennymore till i get well.

* * * * *

Jan. 17. brite and fair. i dident die and every one of us got well.
Annie had it the wirst and i had it the next wirst and Frankie and the
baby want hardly sick any. today is the first time i have been out. Cele
and Keene went out last Wensday but i coodent becaus i hadent got done
peeling. after folks have the scarlet fever their skin dries up and
peels of and if you get cold in the peeling you die every time. i had on
my Hoppy Gad boots for the first time today. father brougt them up to
show me when i was in bed. i was prety sick and dident know nothing for
2 or 3 days. mother says i was talking about the fellers i knew in
Reading. we lived in Reading one year and so i thought i was there i
gess and she says i talked of George and Wendal Evans and Puggy
Fergerson and Totty Procter and Emma Wallis and Jonny Pike and Ed
Harndin and Nelly Minot. i had a fite with Ed Harndin and licked him.
when Willy died we came back to Exeter, and she said i talked about
Willy to, and everything. we had some fun while we was sick. Cele used
to tell stories and we made flyboxes and then when mother was out of the
room we wood turn sumersets, and bimeby when we got so that we cood eat
apples we used to have one apeace every day and we had to scrape them
with a nife and eat the soft part, and when we were geting beter we were
auful cross. i gess most every one wood be cross to lose thanksgiving
and crismas two, and my berthday, and all the skating and snowbaling.
ennyway i havent got to go to school this week.

Jan. 18, 186- buly snowbaling. i went out today a long time, mother told
me not to plug snowballs, so i only throwed 2 or 3. i am hungry all the
time.

Jan. 19. brite and fair. one of my hens died when i was sick and the
rooster frose his comb. it is prety tuf on me.

Jan. 20. i went sliding today on factory hill, it was buly. they wasent
hardly ennyone there.

Jan. 21. brite and fair. Whack and Boog have got a duble runner, they
made it out of there sleds dart and arrow. it is the fastest duble
runner on the hill. i went with them. we beat Pewts duble runner esy