Letter 18920305

 

March 5th 1892
Jaysville, Darke Co., Ohio
Miss Martha Maitlin
Dear cousin, aftor 3 long weeks past I will try and answer your kind and welcome letter which I received 3 weeks last night. I am about the same but have not got the sore troat any more. But I have still got a bad cold yet. Well Martha I hope when this letter reaches you it will find you all well. As there is a great deal of sickness here yet. Well Martha I have not been home for 8 weeks tomorrow. George was up last Monday night and he said they had been having the grip. Ina and Orpha and Ella had been very bad but they had got better again. Has all of your folks got well again.
Well I don’t no hardly what to rite you as you rite me such a good letter and I don’t know how to answer it. But I will try and scribble a little .
I received a letter from Grandpa last Saturday eve. I have not heard from Lillie for some time. I rote her a letter about a month ago and have not heard from her yet. Well Martha I have still got my fellow (?) and I think a good deal of him and I believe he thinks as much of me as I think of him now.
Martha if you have got that fellow yet and he should happen to play of(f) on you don’t bother your self about it. If Charlie should happen to give me the bound I don’t think I shall (?) about him a bit. What was the cause of that fellow giving you the bounce. Martha I will tell you about some scrapes here. There was a young man going with a nice young lady and they was going to get married Christmas Eve. and she had the most of wedding cloes and her father was well off. She had a farm when ever she got married and about 2 weeks before Christmas he gave her the mitton and went with another girl that had nothing and a New Years eve they was married and she cried and grieved her self about it and her mother told her if she would not worry her self about it she would get her a silk dress and she got her a dress and the making and all was about 25 dollars. Now that is the way some boys will do and that is not the only ones that is (?) that way. A girl must not get to much after a boy . They have not got them untill the ceremony is said and then they don’t know whether they are going to live with the wife long or not.
Well Martha I have not got my picture yet but will send you one when ever I get them. Are you doing much painting now. Well I tell Aunt Sarah I hope she will get her carpet rags done. I wish I could be there to help her. Tell her I made a rage rug and I have got it done now. I made a chair cushion but have not get it quite done yet. Did you get your soap made yet. Did you get any valines (Valentines) this year. I got one and did not send but one. There was an awfull (?) sent. Had any body saa (say) they know (?) of so many (?) sent (?). Mine was a little fat women a washing and it said on it
I married for love
True love does not run quite smooth. And your own case doth (?). Through love you’ve tied your self for life to a man that can’t support a wife. Poverty is placed upon your head. You wish a single life you’d had.
But that is not me as I am not married yet. Nor no sines (signs) of it.
Well Martha I guess I must close as it is after I o’clock and I am getting sleepy and have got the head ache and am so tired ritting (writing) I can hardly sit still.
Now ritt (write) soon
From your loving friend
Well I guess this is enough for this time as I won’t have anything to ritt the next time . Rite soon.

From Elva Delk, granddaughter of George W. Delk.