21 December 1877, Letter from Johann Peter Frautschi to his brother Christian Frautschi

University of Wisconsin-Madison. Max Kade Institute. Frautschi Letters (MKI/Frautschi3/JP1877E)

Electronic version: http://frautschi-letters.mki.wisc.edu/let/JP1877/JohannPeter1877.html

Elisabeth, 21. December 1877

Dear Brother,

Last Thursday I received your letter with the photographs of your boy, which pleased me greatly. In exchange I can only send you a photograph of me and my wife that we had taken a year ago.

The locusts have ransacked us horribly this year, so that for example of the 96 bushels of wheat I sowed I was only able to take in 91 bushels. In addition I was sick last spring for nine months, though I had no pain and could get up every day to help take care of the livestock. I then spent a good part of the day lying on the sofa. In summer and fall I was weak, but could do my work. Four weeks ago I had an attack similar to that in the spring, but now I could always take care of the livestock, and I seem to be on the road to recovery, as my appetite is good again. Only the night sweats continue to trouble me. Neither I nor the doctor knows what I actually have. I am sure it is a sort of undeveloped malaria and liver trouble, and something with my heart, and maybe my lungs.

In spring and fall, I always had a sort of low fever followed by eight to fourteen days of night sweats, which often returned at any time of the year. Last spring, however, I had a very severe attack of it. In addition I had coughing and was short of breath. I could only walk slowly, had difficulty reading out loud, every night for three months I soaked three shirts with sweat. And so it is now. When I got better in ___, I still had stomach problems for some time. Then my wife also has a heart trouble, and cold, bad blood. But, praise God, she still likes to work. Little Hermann was also unwell in the summer; the _____ remedies cured him.

Elise too is often sick. Last spring the children all had the childhood cough, whooping cough; they had to vomit everywhere, in bed and so on.

As it pleases God, so it shall please us and we should say with the devout Fathers "What God does is well done." Now I am celebrating Christmas again. May the Savior find in each of us a shattered sinner's heart, for He can only reside in such a heart.

Warm greetings from me and my wife to you all. Your humble brother,

Johann Peter Frautschi