Chapter 30 of 30 · 841 words · ~4 min read

CHAPTER XXX

TWO LETTERS

I.--THE ROCKY FORK TO SHARON

Respected frend,

i take my pen in hand to let you know i am well and hope These few lines Will find you enjoyIng the same blessing....

Christine is Writen this for me. the (Elders) is all ripe do you mind when we plade and Teny married them | the goggerfy school is out mr runNels brot his Wife which made the big girls feel Bad but Teeny sais that aint so....

Printhy pancost she got the most Headmarks so she got the prize Teeny got the prize in Spelin in the big class | We marched the last day and i spoke mary had a little Lamb there was 6 dialogues.

jo hall is Well and sends his reSpecks.... When are you coming back Eliza is Lonesome.... i am learning to write but cant make no out yet.... mr pitzer give a treat the last Day we got three sticks of Candy apiece The big boys did not threaten to Lock him out he done it of his own accord i am going to send you some

+--------------+ | Mountain Tea | +--------------+

Mother is well uncle Abram is well John Tiggard said his long piece the Death of the flowErs Amandy Willey sent her Respecks

excuse Mistakes Mother has got her weavin Most all done.... the Run has not been up since So no more at present Goodbye

Matilda Banks.

Teeny would not wright Half I wanted her to. Mother puts this on. I got Ferns pressin in the memoiry of Florence Kidder, write and Tell us how you get on, our sweetins is getting Ripe. don’t you wish you was here.

remember frends as you pass by as you are now so once was i as I am now So you must be Prepare For deth and follow me.

i thought I would end with some Poetry.

II.--SHARON TO THE ROCKY FORK

SHARON THE 21 SEPTEMBER

DEAR TILDY

I HAD TO WAIT TILL I LEARNED TO PRINT. ALL OF THEM LEARN TO PRINT AT THE SEMNARY PREPARATORY DEPARTMENT. THERE IS A LETTER BOOK BUT THE LETTERS AINT TO YOU. I THOUT YOUR LETTER WAS VERY NICE; THE MOUNTAIN TEA WAS SO GOOD. ALL THE GIRLS WANTED SOME. THERE WAS ELIZABETH BIGGAR AND ORRELL PRATT AND ORPA ROSE AND OTHERS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION. I STUDDY THE 2ND READER SPELLING GEOGRAPHY AND MENTAL ARITHMETIC AND PRINTING. I LEARNED HOW TO PUT MARKS IN YOUR WRITING. THEY PUT THEM IN BOOKS. TILDY, DID YOU KNOW SHYLOCK IS IN SHAKESPEARE? AND GINEVRA IS A MAN NAMED MISTER ROGERS.

AUNT MELISSA IS VERY NICE, SHE MAKES SO MUCH OF US, BUT I LOVE LIZA TOO. GIVE MY LOVE TO LIZA. ROXANA SENDS HER LOVE. SO DOES ALL THE FAMILY. THANK YOU FOR THE MOUNTAIN TEA. BALLIE IS WELL. FATHER RIDES HER TO SEE SICK FOLKS. WE RIDE IN THE CARRIDGE. ROCKKO HAS A NEW WHITE AND A NEW PINK AND SOME GINGHAMB DRESSES. O TILDY, DONT YOU REMEMBER GOING FOR WATER AND BLACKMAN AND THE SPELLING AND GETING FERNS AND ALL THE GOOD TIMES? AND THE TIME YOU AND ME CHURNED PRINTHY PANCOST! GIVE MY LOVE TO PRINTHY AND MANDY WILLEY AND JO HALL AND JOHN TEGARDEN AND NERVY RIDEANHOUR AND TEENY AND ALL THE BIG BOYS AND GIRLS. GIVE MY LOVE TO MR. PITZER. MY TEACHER IS A LADY. TELL HIM I CAN MOST READ THE BEAUTIFUL LETTER HE GAVE ME. TILDY, YOU MUST COME AND SEE US. LIZA MUST COME. SO MUST YOUR MOTHER AND TEENY. I HAVE GOOD TIMES, BUT I DONT FORGET THE ELDER DOLLS AND ALL.

MY HAND IS GETTING TIRED. GIVE MY LOVE TO YOUR MOTHER. I LOVE ALL YOU FOLKES AT THE ROCKY FORK. TILDY, I AM COMING TO SEE YOU WHEN THEY BRING ME. I SPOSE POOR MISS EMILY MANDEVILLE IS WITHERD TO DUST. I WISHT YOUD GOT THE PRIZE.

I WAITED TILL MY HAND GOT RESTED. MY ROOM IS PRETTY. IT HAS PICTURES AND A BLUE CARPET. I WISHED YOU WAS TO MY PARTY. DONT YOU REMEMBER THE BIG STORM, TILDY, WHEN FATHER FETCHED ME HOME? DO THE NARROWS LOOK JUST THE SAME? THEY DONT HAVE SUNDAY SCHOOL BOOKS LIKE WE DID. THESE HAVE NICE STORIES. FLORENCE KIDDER WAS NOT A BIT GOOD EXCEPT THE PICTURE. I AM GOING TO PUT IN MY PICTURE THAT AUNT MELISSA HAD TAKEN. IT IS ON PAPER. IT IS NOT LIKE MY MOTHERS DAGARTYPE. THIS KIND IS A NEW KIND. THEY CALL IT PHOTGRAPH. I HAVE ONE FOR LIZA TOO. AUNT M WILL SEND IT. ROCCO WOULD NOT HOLD STILL. THEY WILL TAKE HERS NEXT TIME. MY HAND IS REAL TIRED. GOODBYE. BLUEBELL GARDE. DR. GARDES LITTLE GIRL.

[Illustration]

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Perceived typographical errors have been corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.

Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.