Letter 18920509

1892 (May 9)

Box 127 Unionville, Mo., May 9 - 1892

Dear Brother,
Yours of the 30” all rec’d the 4 inst”. Was real glad to hear from you & to know that you are well as well all the rest. But say can’t you stay in Dunkirk a month without getting mad at so as not to speak that is. That is something that I did not do all the time while I was there. If cousin Hattie don’t speak first that is no reason why you should not speak to her. First, how does it look you going there on a visit & no doubt you are in some the fault. Hattie got spunky at me a time or two but I let it make no difference with me. I just huged & kissed her the more & she couldn’t stay mad at me long for I would allow her to.
I don’t know which one of the girls I like to best, Martha or Hattie. In fact I thought well of all of them. I had a good visit with all. I want you to be careful & do nothing that will cause any hardness with any of them.
Well I have just had supper. Cousin Jennie cooked a fine dish of asparagus & I done it justice, you bet. I couldn’t finish it all so we concluded to have some for breakfast. That is a dish among dishes if served properly. That I relish a cocktail & (?) is only common by it. A night cap or a morning eye opener are both good in their place if taken in proper time, but that will do at all times & between meals.
Well as it is to dark to follow the lines I will not write any more untill after lamp light & then go on.
I went down to uncles this morning. Was there untill after dinner. Aunt was & has been very poorly. She suffers very much. At times she feels quite easy & then again it is just the oposite. Uncle is keeping real well for an old man. Is now past his seventy third year. Aunt was seventy one the 4 inst.
The girls had a quilting party but it was so dark they could not see to do much. It rained most all day. The rest of the relatives are in usual health. John’s wife is mending slowly. We are having pretty plenty of rain this spring. Lucus Creek has been out of banks three or four times. Last Thursday it was the highest it has been for several years. The farmers got but little oats sowed. I seen a man sowing last Saturday. I would think it pretty late but they think it all early enough yet. No corn planted yet & besides but little ground plowed. It has been so wet could hardly get any garden made. Some few have early potatoes up but every thing seems backward.
Say what about that tie long about Oct. that you spoke of. I suppose that is like all the rest, just long enough to get to the front was it. The two that you spoke of are all OK yet expecting him soon. I thought that (?) was going to canvass for books this summer out there. What are you going to do with that sixty dollars worth of books you have. How much are you making at carpentering.
I rec’d a letter from cousin Altha Saturday. She was well. I suppose you will go on out to see them will you not & how soon if you do. If you go on to Troy of which is only a short distance, just hear what H. C. Mitchell has to say concerning F. O.
Well I will close hoping to hear from you soon. I am with resp” your affectionate bro. Give my love & kind regards to all the relatives.
F. O. Delk