Very dear brother and children and the whole family,

Although we thought to drop you a few lines we don’t have any news other than, by the blessing of the Lord, we are all in the best of health which of course is the greatest richness, as the saying goes. And that is true. Oh brother, if we could only appreciate that privilege but we are so ungrateful for all of this.

I thank you for your last letter dated February and I wish you the same in return as well as T. Hogendijk and his family. Do give them our best greetings and if they would like to get some letters I will be pleased to write them.

As to the weather, we had some very nice days in April and also thunder, right now it’s snowing again.The winters are long here.

With regard to the grainprices, they are just as high as at your end and potatoes even higher. We sell them for fl. 3,50 per bushel after digging them up.

You wrote me a lot of news from Hallum but I didn’t find anything about Piet Stienstra. I read about it in the newspaper but that was the last of it untill I was at old Peisma today, April 8th where I read in the paper that it is still for sale. Peisma read me a letter which he received from Friesland saying that this spring hundred emigrants will come over and that the desire for emigration is great. You don’t mention emigration while I wrote about it in my last letter.
If you have the opportunity would you be so kind to send 1 or 2 ...... (illegible) along with them or with others who travel to America because they have to go pass us anyway.
Last Christmas another three arrived here from Blija and from what I hear one is on his way from Hallum. That is a son of Pitter Alberts and a nephew of little Sybe, and there will probably be more here and there.

In between writing this letter I have traded my horse and I think we made a good deal. We could also sell our land for fl. 2,500. There is quite a lot of trading here in houses and land. It doesn’t cost much to transfer ownership, the stamp is only 5 Dutch cents. I have also seen the houses of Albert de Vries in the paper.

I received your last letter on March 13th with great joy. It’s the same with me as with you, if it takes a bit longer I get anxious here. Your letters are your presence. I had the last letter that you received post paid to Liverpool and this one too. You don’t write about the mail, whether you pay more or less.

I stop with the pen but not with the heart. Be so good and write again right after the Stienzer market. Greet all the ol’ merchants and farmers who ask about me and especially brother Thomas and his family and J. Miedema. We wish them happiness with the little ones. Do not wait writing to the other family.

Our warmest regards to all of you.

G. de Groot
H.R. Lettinga
Antje de Groot
D.G. de Groot
 

N.B. pass my compliments to Gosze van der Wal and I congratulate him with his job. Also greetings from his sister and brother-in-law J. van der Velde. They are doing well.