Beloit
July 30, 1857
My Dearest John,
It is now most three weeks since you have gone from home and
I have been anxiously waiting to hear from you, but I have waited in vain. I know you must of written if all is
right. Oh! what thoughts have racked my
brain thinking that something might of happened to my dear dear husband. But Oh! I think that all is well and that
you have things in your favor. If you
have, just be through and come home as soon as you can before the six weeks is
up if you can possibly.
Bobby has had the dysentery, but is all right again. Anne has had it some but I took it at the
first onset. I am afraid Bobby has the
hooping [sic] cough for he coughs very bad, but he don’t hoop any as yet
anyhow. But he coughs for about an hour
every night about the middle of the night.
I keep bandages on him and change them in the night. He frets a great deal after you more and more
every day. The little dear, he wants to
go out to play with the other children but goes by himself. He comes to me about fifty times a day and
puts his arm around my neck and ___ me and says Pa is coming home by and by,
Ma. He won’t have it said tomorrow and
the tears will start in his eyes and he tries to hide it, and laughs and says
that Pa’s going to bring some figs and oranges.
Sis is as much as ever for play, but when she comes to her meals she
says Oh! I wish Pa would come home. He
is a long time. I want him to sit by
me. The baby grows like everything. You will be quite surprised to see him. He takes so much notice of things. He is as good as can be. If it was not for him, I should see the time
as long again and see it long enough now.
Robert has not worked but a very little since you have
gone. He was taken sick that same day as
you went away, but sickness has not kept him all the time for Edwin has behaved
rather shabby to him in taking his job from him, but now Edwin and his wife has
gone to Belvidere again. He (Edwin) has
gone to work to the same old mill again. I hope he won’t repent it, but I don’t
know. I am not sorry that she has gone
but we got along first rate, but if it had of been ___ they would of ___ all
the time, but I was determined that I would not say a word but get along the
best way I could. She never did a night
of the cooking and only wash the dishes but I won’t say no more now, I shant
tell you all my troubles till I see you, and I have had some I tell you. But I must look the bright side of things.
Edwin has not paid but five dollars for the rent. That has been my greatest trouble for I used
to get five or six ___ every day, up from Babcock and his wife. She has behaved as hateful as she possibly could
do. You would hardly believe me if I
were to tell you. But enough of this I will
tell you again. Lizzy had no John to fight
for her. She had to fight her own
battles. Edwin only paid the five
dollars last night. Before he went away he only gave me three dollars
atall. I am going to __ to see him
soon. It will be ___ to get along. I have not been well myself or I should of
done it before.
I hope and trust that you have been quite well. If you are not well, come right home. I don’t suppose I shall be able to have an answer
to this before you get home for it takes so long for the letters to come from
there. I got the one from Saint Paul a
week after you wrote it, but I hope to get another from you from Hutchinson
before long or else I shall have fits. I
thought I would write this so you might feel easier about how I ___
cheerful. I try all I can but it comes
hard for me. I miss my dear John so much. No one can tell I have not had a paper or
anything in post office since you been gone.
(The rest of this letter is written sideways.)
Email would sure have made a difference in their lives!
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