Nett-Helen Letters-June 3, 1885-Helen to Nett

Nett-Helen Letters

Letter from Helen to Nett - June 3, 1885

June 3rd 1885
Wed afternoon

I recd your letter of the 24th last Friday eve, Claude brought it to me. I reached for it as he entered & told him I knew he would bring me a letter. & I sit down to read & I could not keep my tears back for your thoughts of the year ago were so much like my own at that time. & the 25th here was for all the world just such a day as the year before. & everything reminded me of that lonly day I passed here alone. Well I must tell you what has prevented me from writing sooner for I know you will expect a letter Sat. we went to town last Sat May 30th as that was Memorial Day & the members of the GAR decorated the soldiers graves. & last Sunday we went to Japs as A had looked for us the two Sundays before. & we could not go to Humphrys the lst as John is gone Mondays & Tuesdays of every week, so we was making preperations to go to Trenton today as the Drs office days there are 2nd & 3rd & would have been there now had it not been for a hard rain this morn at 6 0 clock that come in tine to find us at home & not on the road. so you see my time has been occupied & I could not write & do it justice. so I thought would wait untill I could. the cream man will come tomorrow & I can send it by him & you no doubt will get it Tuesday (tell me if you do). Will started over after it quit raining on horseback about ten oclock. will be gone all night. he thought it wouldent do for me to be a month without medicine & I think it might have put me back all I have gained. am not feeling quite as well as when I last wrote but guess I am tired out for I got so tired Sat & the warm weather is so hard on me. for we have had several, very warm days. Yesterday was a hot one. the wind blew from the South & everything denoted rain. awhile before sundown the wind ceased & it was sultry & the banks raised in the west & north & a little while after dark they spread over some wind and not much rain. I dont believe our rain is over yet.

Well Nett I must tell you that the poor little bird died this morn. but don’t be so foolish as to cry like Blanche & I did. but I guess we couldent help it. we watched it die. & it was in my hand a few minutes before it fluttered & rolled on its back & gasped its last. it made a little squeaking noise awhile before & that was the first I noticed that it was dying. the children has asked every few minutes since I commenced this if I have told you yet about it so I shall tell you all about it & then it will be off thier minds. Ross dug a little grave by the locust tree west of the house & we done it up in a piece of Blanches panties & burried it. It has been about four weeks since I noticed there was something wrong. it has always eat & sit on the perch every night but did not chirp much & would wash but not very often. Its body would swell up at times till it would look like it would burst & if I would touch it I could see the insides move through the skin like they were all loose. but it hoped livly & then sometimes it would droop its wings & quiver & its body real hot. I bathed it lots of times & the underside of its body was perfectly bare & black & yellow. It was not lousy & it has always had sand & a great big fish bone but no chalk. I dident know it was necesary & I expect you will think I neglected it. but it was always my first work after breakfast & dinner to give it feed & fresh water. I have often wished you had it for I thought you knew more about birds then I did. & then Ma thought so much of it. & Blanche looked at it & said poor little birdie now we wont have any & I looked at her & her eyes were swimming in tears & I felt one or two in my own & two or three big lumps in my throat.

Note from 8-year-old Roscoe "Ross" Clark to 1-year-old cousin Mabel Bailey, 1885. On the back, his mother writes: "Will went to Nevada & bought a mower. got ten dollars cheaper then he could of Cook. it was $60. he has taken so much cutting to do. he could not get along with his old one. & it was hard on his team too."

Well now I will try & fill this with something else. I expect Pas corn is bigger then ours for they have had to replant some & everybody else in this whole country. some of them two or three times. the fault is in the seed corn mostly. some complain of worm taking what is up. A good many have come here after seed corn. Rene Witten was here yesterday after some. they are cropping on John Overmans place. he was here for dinner his glass eye fell out when he wiped his face & he couldent hardly eat for adjusting his eye in some way. when he talks it moves, & on the whole I think he looks better without for it is always turned up or down or crossways. he took some pie plant & radishes home. we have a good garden. is pretty late. peas are in bloom. lettuce to old to be good. Will planted it all himself & he has a sign to plant in you know.

(2) I saw Carrie at town. Ed was there too but dident see him. there was a big crowd there. the procession was headed by the G.A.R. some with guns & a drum & a flag & baskets of flowers & about 30 teams. beside a great Many a foot. & a good many at the graveyard. the performance was altogether new to them & they hardly understood how, but they marched well. they went to each soldiers grave & put flowers on & when they were through they fired a salute. they intend to keep it up in after years. a good many took thier dinners & eat out in the grove after it was over. they had speaking at the church at 7 oclock. we was coming home & Mrs Dobsin said she wanted to ride back to town. there was no going around the bush about it & she wanted to ride with us. She got in the seat with Will & they brought the springs down. Ellen was with us too. When we got to town Mrs Dobsin wouldent listen to us coming home. no we had to go home with her & go to the speaking. Well we done so her & Maggie got a real nice dinner in a short time. she has been going to school at Carrolton to her Uncle Wills, since Christmas & had been home a week & had brought Wills little girl home with her. you will remember her. the one that sit on her Mas lap. they have another one to sit there now. she was just as well contented there as could be. Maggie played rough on rats. Ellen sit down to play but she dident know how. O the new hats & the styles that there is. some crowns are perfectly pointed & others that are all brims. I saw Lina & Dave. she looked the neatest I ever see her. You will want to know what she wore wont you. She had a black cashimere on & fit neat. I know she dident make it & a sky blue cashimere wrap around her' shoulders. a new broad brimmed white hat on. lined with sky blue & it become her. the cashimere wraps of all colors are worn. cream color or white mostly but they surly cost a good bit for they are fine. she invited me to see her. said there was grove meeting & immersion there the Sun before. it was somewhere on Muddy. May be Dave or someone has told Les about. she left her baby with her Ma. Allie was along. She is tall & right good looking. she too had a wide hat. I think they all went to Hulets. I saw so many & I wish that I could tell you but cant because time & space forbids. but Bob Cooks have the champion baby. it is the fatest thing I ever saw. wears long dresses yet. she is pretty. was dressed in a fine blade silk. Puss carried a big parasol over her & the baby & Mrs Cook its Granma was close behind to see if they took care of it all right. Jewett has torn his building down & moving it to Galt. I did not go into the store. it was full of people. Fany Swayze was there & Will says she looks worse now then she did last winter before she went to the springs.

Well it is now night & the lamp light. the kids & I are sitting around the table & John has gone up stairs to bed. here is another storm a brewing in the west & north & the thunder mutters & how bad I feel because Will is gone. its the first time he has been away since last spring & Fred is down to the road howling. I wish that I had got Ellen to staid with me. John is no company & I feel afraid. how I have missed the bird & look to see it in the cage before I think. & always think I hear it.

Will has painted the carpet a green & drab & the woodwork drab in the dining room & it so nice since. I wish you could see it.

Tell Pa I like to hear him talk that way & as though he realy intended to come & see us. Oh, how I do want you to come & see us. none of you knows we are ready to meet you any time & Blanche says she has some little slippers for Mabel. she has only three pair Laid away. she expects some new ones tomorrow, today is Late’s birthday. did you make a fuss. I told the children about it & Ross wrote it down in his book. let me see he is 33 ain’t he? it is high time Late that you were hunting a wife. the children has been talking about Nonas surprise. & Rosses Summer days book has a picture of a girl in. they say it looks like you. they cannot ,give up but Will must come tonight. Blanche says she is afraid of a slyclone as she calls it. she is awful brown. she wont wear anything but Rosses sailor hat & he makes use of mine. Ellen & I come home Sat with our faces painted red (as the saying is). hers was as red as a beet. mine was not quite so bad. I put sour milk on mine. she made a corn meal poultice & she said it drawed like yeast & bleached her out considerable. she was down last night after supper. she intended to go to Trenton with us. I will tell you more on another page in the morn.

[Notes on section 2] Your lamberquins are prettier then mine. I must get dinner. O how I do dread to cook. it is harder for me then anything. I put the clothes to soak & if Will don’t come in time I will go in.

Why dont you make Mabel a lace cap out of some of your old lace. they make them to fit tight like & in shape of a night cap for babys or, even as large as Blanche. embroidery is pretty too. some edging would be pretty for her [?]ight dresses. it seems odd to think she is sitting. kiss her for me every day & be sure & come to see us this summer or fall. I dont seem like I can get there soon. times is hard & every once in a while Will is [illegible] out of some money by someone. Dewey give him the slip.

[Notes on section 1] You better be careful the snakes will get you sure. I wonder what, Aunt Lib & Mag Will think of Mr S. I should think Maggie would be ashamed to get mad when people dident see fit to loan him money to fool away. he must be guilty of most everything. Henry Williams father died a few weeks ago. they have heard of it I suppose. do you like her. tell me everything. it is all news.

I dont know anything about Al Johnsons folks. neither do we ever see Hiters folks but I saw that big sister of his what is her name Mary Arm she acted like Bell. I wouldent knowed her but Geo Moberly said that was Tellman Whites sister. I was in the garden today & the peas are making pods. so I will have peas too pretty soon. the garden is awfully soaked. goodness the wind is coming through the north screen right in my face. Will has painted the outside of them green like the shutters.

I was going to take the pictures to get them enlarged if they would. I am afraid the wont bother with them just for two.