San Francisco January 10th, [illegible]
Dear Wife,
As I have an opportunity of sending this by a friend who sails tomorrow for New York, I thought I would write to let you know I am well as usual. I have not received any letter from you for three months and have felt very anxious to hear from you, as you perhaps expect me home this winter. I have some grounds for excuse I have been trying to arrange to do so but now not been able to arrange matters as yet, Mr Shaw who I was connected with has been sick and died fours weeks since he owed me considerable money which I expect to lose a good part but have been trying to make the best of it. I expect to have to stop until Spring before I can get away. I have writen you two or three times since I heard from you. I hope to hear from you soon and that you are all well. I am in San Francisco now have been here three days it has been raining in Cala for the last month most of the time Sacramento and all the Valley has been all under water and is so now mostly
