Letter 18930728

1893 (July 28)

Leroy, Iowa Friday, July 28 - 1893
Mr. & Mrs. E. E. Delk

Dear Brother & Sister,
Oh how I would like to visit you today & see baby. I expect you think there never was such a little darling but you have just learnt the feeling of every parent. We got your letter last night. Was glad to hear from you & that you were well & Martha, very glad that you & baby are doing well. Now you must take good care of yourself. You will not be real well for a long time & there is so many diseases that follow confinement if a women is not careful. Elmer, you must see to her not lifting to heavy. That is the worst thing she can do.
Well Elmer I expect you have a nice home & how are you getting along in your trade. I am glad you have a good garden. It is such a help. We have almost lived out of ours since the 4th.
We sold our Leroy property last fall & bought 88 acres a half mile west of the place we lived when you was to see us last. If you remember where the schoolhouse was. North of our house, you know just where we live. Our house is west & a little south of the schoolhouse. We have not made many improvements yet. Times are pretty close here. Nobody has any money. Stores in the Grove have shut down on credit. We have sold a good many eggs & Bart has had some horse accounts come in so we have been doing pretty well.
Orace & Charley are both working out now. Or’s will not last much longer than this week. He is riding a horse to the (?) cutting timothy. Chas. Is herding cattle & choring for a neighbor. Bart is away this afternoon hauling hay. We have over a hundred young chickens, good garden, nice potatoes but not many & a very good crop in general. Corn 28 acres, oats 12--, buckwheat 1--, beans 1 ½. We’ll have pumpkins & squashes by the wagon load if they do well. Cucumbers by the barrel. We put out a patch of (?) & sweet corn but they are not doing so well.
Three of our little folks have just taken very bad colds, Rou, Lina & Otto. Clarence went home with his Uncle Amboses Sunday so we have not a very large family now. Only four. Our baby is the best we ever had. I hope yours is good. There is nothing so nice. Ours is six months old. Roy is hauling her while I am writing. He is very anxious for me to get done.
I all most forgot to tell you, Aunt Lodema Frazier was buried a week ago today. She took sick Friday night died Thursday noon.
I must close for this time. Write & tell us about all the relatives. Tell Hattie I send my best wishes to her & her little family. My love to all, your sister Lillie.

P.S. yes Elmer I am glad you have some feeling for us woman. I don’t know what we was made for. God only knows what we suffer.

On a separate scrape of paper:

Charly came home a little while this afternoon. I told him Uncle Elmer’s had a little boy. He says where did he get it.
Martha, I am piecing me a charm quilt. Would like a piece of your dress to put in it. Do you like to piece quilts, I do. Lillie