Page:The McClure Family.djvu/107

Rh spend the remainder of my days. I came to Iowa in the year 1851; the country was then very new and thinly settled in this part, there has been quite a change since that time; the country is still improving rapaidly; in another year we will have a railroad completed to our county. Our country is very healthy and is well adapted to agriculture and stock raising.

"Nothing would afford us more pleasure than to visit you and talk with you of "by gone" days, but we are too old and feeble to attempt so long a journey. We would be glad to spend a few weeks among the hills of our native State, but cannot hope to realize the pleasure. We would be glad to have you and your wife visit us and see our new country. I suppose father is not living; I have heard nothing of him since I left Virginia. I should be glad to know something concerning his last days, when and where he died, etc. Some apology for my long silence perhaps is due you. For many years it has been negligence; some times thoughts of the past deterd me. I propose to forget the past and do better in future. I shall be pleased to hear from you often.

"Your affectionate Brother,

THOS. McCLURE."

The following obituary appeared at the time of his death, as also the following letter, and the obituary of his wife:

", June 4th, 1871.

Dear Uncle—I avail myself of the present opportunity to write you a letter; which, but for the sad intelligence it must convey, I would take pleasure in doing.

I will first inform you of our loss, in the death of Father, which occurred on December 31st, 1870.

His health had been failing for several years, but he was able to be up most of the time until about ten months prior to his death when he was taken very sick; was confined to his bed most of the spring and summer; his health improved with the return of cool weather, until about a