Sunday Evn Dec 13th [1863]

This evn Mother

Ed and myself have been makeing

sausesages Ed and I cut about 30 lbs
of meet in ??? and hower but it was
a little the hardest work I ever done
to turn to day has been raining all
day and most of the time we are hard
so there has been a young deluge
in the fore part of the day it did not
thaw any but this after noon it
has been warm and foggy so the
snow has mostly gone off it is clear
and warm now I guess all the tobaccoe
in this part of the country is down
now all the neighbors that had any
have been at it I have whiled away
the time to day in a variaty of ways
in the fore noon I slicked up here
in the shop a little I blacked my
stove and washed my windows a little
[page 2]
and shaved father and myself
this after noon I have been casting
up my diary and if any one was to
see the result they would call me a
poor shiftless cuss according to the
figures I have not mutch more than
made both ends meet so far but I have
not kep any sort of correct account of
money received or money payed or
another year I meant to know how
mutch I have got at the commensment and
then keep a account of all I receive
and pay out as my this years diary stands
some months I did not receive a cent but
payed out a good many dollars the first
month of the year I received twenty cents
according to my diary and payed out dollars
in Feb I payed out 15.72 and received 53.25
in May did not receive a cent and payed out
10.24 July is the only month but what I have
got some expens down for August reveived 2 dollars
and payed out 59.36 for Sep did not receive
a cent and payed out 14.75 Nov did not receive
a cent and payed out 19.00 this month so far I
have received about 125.00 but so far I have spent
24.00 and over and shall have as mutch more
to pay besides a little to come in anyone that
did not keep an account of there expenses would
not believe they spent any where near as mutch
as they do I know I (skind?) a good deal unnecessar
ily I aught to have had a clean thousand
layed away at this time but an inventory of
all I have got would not figure ½ that people
seem to think I have got a good deal of money
and well they may for I am most always to
be found at home and so father thinks I
work pretty steaddy well let them think
so I have a good job and most always have had
enough to clear 9.00 a week but I doubt and some
weeks dont do enough to pay my board if I had
it to pay

Yours Charles