A letter from Hannah Wordsworth, sister of Thomas Thompson:

Friar Wood, Pontefract, Yorkshire, England
May 23rd 1900

My dear Brother Sister & family

It is a long time since we heard of each other, of course you weekly receive the Pontefract paper, so that you get the news of the town. I trust you are all in your best health & that dear sister is better. I have not been well of late & being in my 77th year I cannot expect to improve much. My good husband is very poorly he took to his bed in January & can only be got up each day just to have his bed made he is very good to do for but its night & day work he is very feeble & in his 92nd year so you may be sure that he is a long way on his journey home he is waiting & ready for the Master's call. He has no pain what a mercy -- his neice is still living but she is a great sufferer. But so patient & never complains. Now my dear Tom about our own family -- Job is hiring at Harrogate keeping a boarding house or at least taking in visitors. Himself wife & her sister are together. He did very well at the farm but the money he had borrowed was called in so he had to have a sale to raise it & it so crippled him that he could not carry on as a farmer. So took this place at Harrogate & I think they are doing very comfortably. But I have not seen him since they left. I have not been from home for many years of course they write to me. Brother Joe is still where they were & just as usual. The daughter is at home & son is a traveller in the grocery trade a steady lad & a comfort to his parents. Joe gets an old man & his wife is bad in rheumatism so they are well of with the daughter. I never see & seldom hear of sister Marys children. They are all well off. Now my dears I hope you are prosperous & happy. I am still happy to send you a nice present before I die. I never forget you & my prayer is that we may all meet & enjoy each others company where sorrow & parting is no more -- by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ & walking in the way of his commandments we shall meet in heaven. With dearest love to each one & hoping to hear from you I am as ever your loving sister

H Wordsworth