Des Moines, Iowa, March 21st /63  Dear Husband,
  This is Sabbath morning, everything is quiet, the busy world has ceased from its labors & bustle & my thoughts turn to you more & oftener on this day of rest & I feel very anxious too to know where you are for from the looks of movements at Vicksburg they are about to do something & in your last dated 11th you were ordered farther South you addressed your letter written to Austin to me & of course I got it & opened & read it; Empy Bird has got home, they were not looking for him so soon & you may believe that I was considerably excited & disappointed too to see him, I had been thinging since Mr. Chritie was here that you would get home before very long, & when I saw Empy it brought you so vividly to my mind; I went to see him immediately after hearing that he had come & I asked him everything that I could think of about you, he told me one thing that I know made my countenance fall, for you know I have a telltale face; I asked him if when he started you did not want to come home, he said no indeed he don't want to come home & that you were displeased that Christie had given me any encouragement to think you would come.  I received yours of the 9th & 10th last Wednesday & Austins the next day, in one of them you say that you do not expect to come home 'til the war is over. 
At Fathers, Tuesday Evening April 28th  Dearest Husband; you see from the date that I am again at Fathers, Sunday
 evening