55. December 26, 1916

In this letter the day after Christmas, Jonas Victor is saying it was too cold to go to church in "early morning"  for the Julotta service.  He is glad that the family in Sweden are getting along much better than they had been.  He thinks Germany could win World War I.  America entered the war shortly after and helped win the war over Germany.  The car is causing problems for the horses. Roselyn


Cleburne, December 26, 1916
Dear Brother Albert with Family,
     We have received your letter.  Thanks so much.  You cannot believe how nice it was to hear from you and about the big changes for you.  I think, Brother, that you have a good life, because you have people working for you and get to work both with wood and land.  You are able to earn money.
    The prices have increased here as well, but not as much as there in Sweden.  A good horse sells from $150 to $200.  The swine and cattle are expensive but not as much as there.  Last spring I sold 33 fat oxen.  I received $140 each, but they were both big and fat.  We have 2 English miles to the station and some could hardly go there.  It was after very cold weather.  Wheat is twice as expensive as usual, but the working people are also expensive.  It is because everything they buy is expensive.
     We have the farm leased out.  Two people took over the farm last spring, but we live in the same house.  They give us half of everything and they also feed two horses.  We get half of the milk and we have 100 hens, which we feed.  We have the wood (for fuel) that we need.
     Our children want us to move to town, but we feel happy here as long as we can take care of ourselves.  You cannot have young horses there, because more than half the people have a car.  We meet them and they pass us.  We are about to reach 80 years, as the Bible says.
     You write that Oskar and Gottfied live in Dunkullen and have good times.  Perhaps they earn money working for other farms.  People here would not want to live a life like that.
     Does Oscar have any part in Fundsboda?  Are sister Fia in Aggebo and Karl Magnus in Tuna Parish still alive? We remember that Stina in Hamra lived in Hornsved in Ingatorp.  Does she live there and is she being helped by her son?  Thanks for the photo and what we learned about her.  Is she in full possession of all senses?  Now we have asked too much.
     We have survived Christmas.  It was so cold and dark.  We were not to early church service (Julotta).  The Sunday School had festivities in the evening, but we are too old to be out both in early morning and in the evening.  I have another question.  Are there preachers who come to your district and preach?     
     The terrible war does not seem to end, and the German people have the advantage.  We have Germans as neighbors.  The Germans are a strong people.  They who are here, are good.
     Brother, when I read your letter, I think we should write more often.  In spiritual things, it seems there is more on the established church.  You build large fine churches--also large fine houses.  The farms have cars.  The people who cannot afford cars, follow the others a long distance and go back the same day.
     It would be nice to know how the cultivation on the bog in Spakarp is.  Can you cultivate so you can have 16 or 20 cattle there?
     When you get this letter I think that your daughter will already be married.  We wish them a happy marriage.
     Our kindest regards to all of you--and also to Anders Petter and Selma in Hamra.
     Respectfully,
      J.V. Swenson