Susan Cromwell wrote often to her husband, who was the Captain of a whaling vessel. These letters had to travel through many hands in order to be delivered, and much time passed before they were delivered to the recipient. In this letter, Susan told her husband that she was "heart sick" to learn that he would be away for another year and a half. She is at home with the three young children. Letters like this one, give an interesting picture into home life while the men were away.