Atascosa, Bexar Co. Texas
	Sunday P.M. June 28/85

My Dear Father,
	This is Horace's birthday,
_three years old today; and we have
decided to celebrate the event by
coming to a grand decision.
It may surprise you and it may
not, but after much thought
and deliberation we have concluded the
best thing we can do is to go back
home; consequently we have decided
to sail from Galveston on the Alamo
of the Mallory line one week from
next Wednesday July 8th. We shall
be due in New York the 15th and
expect to arrive in Boston one or 
two days later by the Fall River Line.
I know you will want to know what
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has brot about this decision. I can
only write briefly now, but will tell
all the many particulars when I
see you.
It has all been just one series of dis-
appointments. We are disappointed in
the climate, in the people and in
our prospects. _I have said nothing
about these matters in my letters, but
have always put the best side out,
hoping that still in some way we
might remain and attain the
objects of our coming; but I find
it of no use and hence our conclusion.
Aunt Clair's ideas of the country
are greatly exagerrated. I have
no doubt of her sincerity; but
she has been so long in the
country and matters have improved
ever so very much over what they
were 27 yrs. ago that it seems
almost like a paradise to her
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now. As to the climate. First, there
are as sudden changes here as in
N.E. as Adah has written you;
and in winter I am told that
when the frequent northers come
that the changes are even more
sudden and severe. Again, it is
_not a _dry climate but decidedly
_damp. From the time of our arrival
up to about four weeks ago it rained
about half of the time, and the
air was continually filled with
moisture, so that when we slept
out on the veranda we had to
cover up our clothing during the
night so they would not be soaked
in the morning, as it was we
would find them still damp from
the presperation they retained.
Since the dry season began it has
been dry in the daytime, everything
is burning up, but the nights are
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damp. Of course during this very hot
weather we all perspire very profusely,
and although we hang our under clothing
over the backs of chairs they are just
as heavy with moisture in the morning
as they were the night before, so we
have to draw on wet clothing every
morning except Sunday.
As to our health. Adah has lost 
one lb., baby 3½ lbs. Horace has
gained two lbs. and I three.
If Adah had been at home during
this time and could have rested
there as she has here, I have no
doubt that she would have been 
just as well off, and she insists
that I would have gained just
as much out of doors there as here.
Her appetite was excellent at first,
then changed to fair, and for two
weeks past she eaten but very
little. Mine still continues very
good. For a time after we came
she coughed less but raised more,
lately she has coughed more again
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and she still raises some. She says
her lungs pain her just as much as
ever they did. Very strangely, during the
first six weeks of our sojourn I raised
but very little, hardly any at all, but
since then I have gradually
raised more until I now raise
fully as much as I did last summer.
As to our disappointments in the
people, their laws, mode of living,
lack of advantages etc, --they 
would have no influence alone by
themselves, but with other and more
potent reasons they have a share
in hastening our departure for the
north. I have many strange and
interesting things to say under
this head, but I will reserve them
until I see you.
Our prospects for the future would be
anything but encouraging. It was
a very great disappointment to
me when Perry wrote me that
he could not come, for I still
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feel certain that we could have
done well in one of these growing
towns along the new R.R.
I also think that I could make
the poultry business pay well had
I the capital, but with the sum
at hand I had rather not venture
especially when I consider these
other matters with it. When everything
else failed, I intended to try in
town for a situation, but Uncle
has been in town lately, and he
and others bring doleful stories
of dull times in San Antonio, and
offer anything but encouraging
advice to me upon that line.
	Now what do I intend to
do? I don't know. I certainly don't
want to go back in the store
again if I can help it, but
I may be obliged to. I have
already tasted the benefits of
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out-door life too well to wish to
get back in close confinement again
if I can avoid it. I don't
expect I could do much towards
getting into business before fall,
anyway, and so think after staying
a few days with you we will
go up country for a while, and
a short stay there will certainily
benefit us all, and possibly I
may find an opening in a
business way.
We shall see you so soon that I
will reserve all other items until
I see you.
Our best love to "Jennie" and 
to yourself.
From
	Your affct son
		Fred. W. Cheney.