Monday afternoon
May 23rd 89

Dear Sister,

This is a beautiful afternoon & I am sitting by the East door in the kitchen will scribble a few lines & send it with the picture. I expect you are looking every mail for it. I did not get it til yesterday. Aunt Lyd brought it up. they came to Leses. I wanted Dick to drive by there as we sent to the Lodge but it is a good bit off our road & it looked like rain & we scooted on as best as we could. I know you are anxious about it but when you get it you will look & look & feel proud of it. it will look nice in your room. Aunt Lyds dress was gray. Nells is brown, a good bit like you made for Blanch while you was here, trimmed in garnet velvet. Ellas is black cashimere trimmed in black satin. she made them both while she was at home. Little Harrys was navy blue. Emmas was gingham made bag waist.

Pratt, Kansas, where the Baileys sold their homemade butter

I rec'd your short letter on the Sat following & of course we was glad but it did not fill up one bit. I shall look for an old filler this week. we are all well & are haveing an abundance of rain. too much in fact. we had a hard driving rain Monday evening & one Sat with some hail. & wind & another last night that caused us to get for the cellar. I guess we would been safe enough in the house but the wind & rain came in such hard gusts & force that we did not know what might be behind & we would not wait till the danger was upon us, if there was any, & you know the cyclones are numerous lately. I dread to see a cloud raise. Well I have my house cleaning about done. some little dirty jobs to touch off yet. it dont seem like I had done anything at cleaning house as I did not have the hardest of it. but I am certain I could beat that fellow head & tail. both off whitewashing or kalsomeining, or papering. he let on to know all about, but I see it was all conceit. & I am not one bit suited with his work. he did not half kalsomine & did not try to get the paper on smooth. he would not let me help or hardly allow me to put my hand of the wall & would act mad when I would tell him what to do. & the more I said the more careless he was. it makes the room look nicer but would have been nicer still if it had been put on nice. I wanted the Kalsomine a pale blue but the S.[?] got it too blue & then did not get it on even. well I guess I can tell you some news. Sherm Maxwells has a son weighs 11 ½ lb. Aunt Lyd got a letter from Alice Williams & she said Aunt Lib is comeing to her house either in June or July & stay with her family while she comes down here. I hope she won’t come till July or Aug & then we will have more to eat. our garden looks like it was about beat to death & drowned out. my chickens are doing will & I have 15 hens. setting eggs are only 7 ct per doz & butter is almost a drug on the market at the Lodge. I guess we wiil take our butter to Pratt City someday. that is on a terrible boom or Razoop.

I had a new kind of work to do yesterday morn & I was so mad I could almost hear myself crack. Sat eve just after the storm was past a little boy came up leading a blind man & asked to stay all night & we took them in & the man was a dirty crusty cross old Irish I prepared for gray backs & wure enough they was just thick & I just dumped them all out on the grass to catch the rain & hails till I wash & then they will get a hot bath. No more old Irish blind or not blind shall stay at this shanty. he gave Mabel a quarter & told her to buy candy or grease for her wagon & she came & handed it to me & said this is to grease my wagon with. Charlie & Bert are here. & Charlie has just said say Dick & I asked him who is his uncle & he said dunno. & I said who is your aunt. & he said dunno. I guess he dont know I am his aunt. Henry Williams & all his kids come over to Leses yesterday afternoon. He looks like the old D____l -- looks sneaking as a dog -- I must quit & go to work. I am going to make a comb case after the pattern of Wills watch packet & cover it with citron seed. you know they are red. & then varnish it. I have got about all the things varnished & they look nice. I got my table & am proud of it. I look for a big letter soon telling about Ellens surprise. I hope you will get your picture alright. I will fix it so I think it will go safe. Less says he will send his money as soon as he can. so no more for this time. with love from all to all with lots of kisses. write soon. very soon to your sister Bailey. dont Bird look rougish in the picture. she has got to be a real good child.