Nancy Swearingen Letter to Elizabeth Bedinger Davenport

              Chillicothe Nov 26th 1853 
Dear Sister 
I have become careless & negligent about writing 
I did not know untill yesterday when I received your letter of the 21st Instant 
that I was indebted to you two letters.  I think you are mistaken however I 
hastern to answer you-this last Summer was the warmest that I ever recol= 
lect, the heat was so excessive, the air so scorching hot & dry, that I confined my 
-self almost entirely to the house, kept it darkened to keep out the heat & flies- 
amused & employed myself as best I could, I cannot sleep in the day time- 
received little or no company, no visiting such warm wether; some calls after 
night, not many of them, the nights generally hot, much sickness here this 
last Summer, more than had been for 35 years, the month of August, my 
girl was ill, I had my own work to do, Elizabeth was here two weeks of the 
time, [inserted word sick] & Henry a week, they then went to Kentucky were there a month or more- 
Eleanor went to Kentucky the first of June, was there all Summer & part of 
Autumn is now up at Darby attending to her business, has sold her Corn 
had her feed lots fenced off &c she is quite a business Woman, very like her 
Aunt Worthington in many respects, but her health is not good-Henry s 
Wife is allmost constantly sick, poor Henry has a hard time, an excellent pious 
conscientious man, is he.  Sarah has another baby 3 months old, her 6th 
child, nearly 4 years between the two last, she calls this child Henry after 
her own brother, & Mr. Thatcher's youngest brother who died in New York 
this last Summer [inserted word with] brain fever, she has 4 daughters & 2 Sons. 
Many of our Ladies and Gentlemen young & Old have been to the Worlds fair 
White Sulpher & other Springs in Virginia, Saratoga, Newport, Canada &c 
This last Summer, Also to the upper Lakes-Dr. Watts & his daughter Ellen, 
were in Virginia, Washington, Baltimore, Phil., New York, the Dr. was appointed