[added: Give my love to Martha and say that I will give her a full letter shortly.] I received your letter of Dec 19th and being always pleased to hear from you, its kind contents was well received, although I would rather you had delayed writing a few days longer until my last epistle had reached you, and then you would not have had so much cause to censure me. If you would consider for a moment, and see in what circumstances I am placed you would not be so harsh, A farm and a large quantity of stock with only one interested person to attend to it. Father often complaines [complains] of my not allowing sufficient time to converse with him.

I am also very thankful for the instructions received in my youth, and do not think that the Doctor's kindness has been spent in vain, as a proof to the contrary I intend to deliver an address on temperance at New Hope on the fourth of July next, and have the vanity to think that it will be pretty

good. Our Temperance Society still prospers, its annual meetting was held on Christmas day, the President Mr. McNeilly read an address composed by Dr. Ewing of Nashville , it was very good and applicable to the audience.

At the close of the meeting a move was made for the President to appoint a committee of five to select one member of the Society, who should be compelled either to deliver an address, or procure a speaker in his place at the next meeting, I was selected as a suitable person. Abiram Caldwell and James McNeilly concluded to bear me company if I would make a public exposure on the 4th

You will be surprised to hear that Mrs. Robert Collier was married on the 2nd of this month to Mr. T Gilbert brother in law to Sarah Walker .

I am pleased to say that you are mistaken respecting Mr. J Cunningham , he professed religion five years since, and died very happy.

Christmas week the snow fell to the depth of 15 inches, which is deep enough for your northern climate. We all enjoyed ourselves more in the last two weeks

than we usually do in the holidays There was a select company of near twenty invited to Squire Caldwell 's on Christmas evening, as the greater part of the young people were professors of religion, the evening was spent in innocent amusements and instructive conversation. The ensueing [ensuing] day I invited the company to my Fathers, where they spent the time very agreeably, in this way we paid our annual associated visits to the most of our neighbours [neighbors]. New Year's day I made a sleigh (not such a one as you are in the habit of seeing) but for this part of the [gap] very genteel. I geared up two waggon [wagon] horses, and accompanied by Margaret Mary Smith and Mary Mills , we took a circuitous route of seven miles to Squire Caldwell s, the next day we increased our number to eight, and had a few upsets for a variety . The pond in front of the house was frozen three inches deep, and in fine order for skating. I had received a present of a pair of skates from Nashville a few days before, and had fine amusement, as it was the first evolutions I had performed on the ice in several years, it was quite a novelty and like

the backwoodsman's glass they congregated all the neighbourhood [neighborhood].

I have written to Brother for facts respecting the temperance societies in the United States , if you have any pamphlets on the subject they would be gladly received, I think that speaking in public, will be serviceable to me at some [added:

The family join with me in love to you all

I remain you affectionate Brother

William B Bell