Letter 18920403

1892 (April 3)

Unionville, Mo.
Sunday, April 3” 92

Miss Martha Maitlen
Dear cousin,
Yours of March the fifth was duely rec’d the 12” of the same and I was real glad to hear from you all & to hear of all being in usual health. This afternoon finds F. O. in health not to complain of. Able to work a little & eat & sleep a hole lot. The rest of the relatives here are much the same as they were when I last wrote you. Aunt Betty was feeling quite poorly this morning. She has been having a sick spell every few days for a long time. Nothing seems to do her any good or ease her but morphine or opium & I don’t suppose there is any medicines she dislikes to take any worse than thes two kinds & yet they seem to be of more beneficial to her. Uncle George keeps quite stout for a man of his age. Yet can see they are both slowly wearing, can see his step is very feeble. Cousin John’s wife is very low yet. Has been sick most two months. Their little baby died last Tuesday a bout noon. Was a little more than six weeks old. It was only sick a few days.
Cousin Henry Dickson’s little girl has been realy poorly for some time. The rest of the relatives here in general are in usual health. Can hear of some of them complaining every few days but nothing serious.
I had a letter from sister Lilly last Thursday evening. Her & family were all well. She said she had just finished her mornings work & it was almost time to commence dinner. First of all she had to get her four boys ready for school & you may know that is no little job. The last word from others in Iowa wer all well as common. I have had no letter from Oregon for a long time. Consequently I can not say whether or no they are. I have a letter of recent date from Washington from a Lady Friend. She said that not long before brother & family were over there & were all well.
The first of this inst” I rec’d a letter from a friend that is now visiting over in England. I wrote him more than a month ago. He had been in London for nearly a month. Said they were having very nice weather there only they had been having pretty plenty of rain & some mud & I am sure that is no uncommon thing for we are having pretty plenty of that here & have been for nearly two months.he is now at Gisburn near Clithroe, Yorkshire. I believe I told you in one of my other letters a bout he & I being acquainted in Oregon & traveling together from Portland to Kansas City. We ate together & slept together & in fact became very attached friends. He seems more like a brother to me than just an acquaintance or friend. He is a jolly good fellow & a genuine gentleman. I think just the one that would suit you, I believe. I’ll have him to write you any way just for luck. He intends comeing back in a year or two & I think by that time I will be able to bring him a long with me when I come visiting again.
Well Martha, I hardly know how to tell you to go at it to catch that Mr. School Master. I believe the best way will be to act a genuine lady & not try to get him come more than three times a week & twice on Sunday. Then be careful about keeping late hours for you know that it won’t do for a teacher to be to sleepy headed. Don’t allow his arm to rest to long on the chair back of you but if it should drop down don’t be to tickilish. Don’t let him smooch you none with his moustaches more than seventy five times to the minute. Let him go at an early hour say long a bout three in the morning. Then at his parting be careful not to hang on the front gate to heavy or both of you might break a hinge & if he hast to have gate (?) don’t keep him waiting till broad day light but let him have the sweet kiss then don’t let him in his wild career to get a way jump the railing on his home ward bound for he might catch his coat tail or accidentally tair (tear) the seam of his panties or if neither of them is apt to kick a railing off then just imagine what pa would think or say of that school teacher. Now bear in mind all these rules. Just give him to understand that you have a good home & a kind father and mother and besides lots of friends. Then he will try to persuade you that he will be more kind & appear more condescending than all & if he don’t he is no good. Then let him go. Some times a person will be (?) should they tell all they know & what they have. Some want to marry & they will tell most any thing to make a bright color a mong the ladys.
Well dear Martha, I am not yet married neither do I have any intention of doing so very soon. No I am not nor have any desire of recourting Miss Peck over again. She was married the 16” of January to a second cousin of ours, Mr. E. D. Dickson. The fellow that was going with her before I came back from your place. She proved to be very untrue to me. She pledged her self to be true then failed. I can not write nor words can not tell the love and affection that I bestowed on her. Yet it seemed that I could not win back her love. She told me that she did not mean to be false. I am most sure that she had been persuaded to believe falsehood after falsehood that my love was not sufficient. I did not get to talk to her after last (?) & a year in the fall after I came back from my visit. We just speak when we meet & that is all & that not often. At first I could hardly look at her & not think of her being my own treasure instead of an others.I only wish her to be happy & if I could have had the pleasure of calling my own darling. I am sure that I would have tried every thing in my power to have caused her happiness. I don’t hate any & all because one has not been true but I suppose when the right times rolls around & the right girl is found, I will make love to another & probably will take a wife & not untill then I am not hunting for one or any now.
No cousin, I have other than that to think of now yet it is hard to give up that person or persons to whom we become attached to but trouble, sorrow & affliction seems to be all of our ttials in the world.
It has been raining most all day & now it is past 6 P. M. & is thundering & raining quite hard. The first day of this month I believe was the windiest day for the first that I most ever seen. I tried to work in the timber but the wind was blowing so hard & the trees breaking that it was dangerous to be around & before the wind it was very muddy & I don’t think I ever seen mud dry up any faster. But now I recon it will be mud again. But why do we be so discontent. I try to be contented with my lot but at times it seems very hard.
I was in hopes that I would get to come to see you this spring but I fear not now. At least not till this fall & then maby & mabe not. We can not tell all things.
I have done but little towards fencing my land yet have only a part of the posts drove. The weather has been so bad that I could not work steady. If it is suitable I want to get it enclosed this coming week. I did think that I would build a house this fall but I have almost give up that idea. Not a least untill I know who will keep it for me. Don’ you think it a good notion. I have had some clearing done & will rent some to cousin Jenny’s husband for corn. Probably fifteen acres. After I get it all in shape & find a buyer I may sell & then go west again for good. But you know that may be some time before I have a chance to sell out. I think that I will have a nice little place when I get it fixed up & I believe that F. O. can do it if any one can.
Well I declare I hardly know what to write. I can scarcly think of any thing to write but maby if you will excuse me for a while I can think of more.
Has Jane & Mort got any of there pictures taken since I was there. If so just tell them that I would like to have one awful well & say where is Louise & Alfred Wilson. I have written to both of them but never heard from either. You spoke of wishing I was with you then you would not have to write & if I was only with you this evening then of course I would not have to write either. But what would be the consequences if neither of us could write like some of whom probably you & I know. The we would have to do with out hearing from one an other & likely that way we would never have seen one an other. I feel very very thankful for that blessing.
Monday evening, April 8”
The rain ceased some time this morning or during the night but looked very much like as though it might rain some again but it broke away before nine o’clock & cousin Josy & I went to work at pounding the posts. We finished on the outside. Was intending to commence stretching wire in the morning but I suppose will have to omit that on account that he was called on to work on the roads. So I will have to find some thing else to do. One hundred & twenty more post to drive & mine will be enclosed. That is if I don’t have to put in fence for then my fence will cost me some where near one hundred dollars. I paid out in cash seventy two dollars. Got nineteen hundred & thirty pounds so you see it costs me some money to fence. I done most all the work towards getting my posts ready. That is splitting & sharpening. I did not have to pay out any money for that but of course it will cost me some little as I have to pay my board & all by not having a cook of my own. So you see a good wife would be a great help in time of need but I am of the unlucky boys. But maby my western lassie will have compassion on me & take me in out of the cold. I tell you she is a darling. Her name is Gracie Underwood. Her mother is of Indian & French decent. Her father is as near white as any of us. She is fair complected, dark or hazel eyes with jet black hair hanging down over her shoulders in ringletts of curls. Of a bout your heith & size. Probably a little heavier. Her weight is a little over one fifty. A little less than eighteen summers old. She is a western beauty. Can hoist a sail & handle a skiff as well as most of the male (?). More so than I would under take but she is not mine yet & I am not hers but if I happen to go west again then look out for F. O. and his western frow. But don’t tell any body will you.
Well it rained so much recently that the river is out of its banks today & all over the low bottomlands. The wind has been blowing exceedingly hard all day & is still blowing. It seems some harder than it did to day but not so hard as it did Friday. It sounds more like January than April. A bout eleven years ago this month the wind blew very much like it does now. At that time it kept blowing day & night for nearly two weeks from a south westerly direction. The same as it is now but it did not seem quite so cold then as now.
The sick folks seems somewhat better this evening. Jennie has gone to set up with (?) John’s wife to night. As I came from my work I stoped in to see aunt & uncle. They were both able to eat their supper so you may know they were feeling moderately well.
As it is getting late & all are gone snoozing I will bid you all a happy good night & many pleasant dreams be thine. I will try & think of more of importance to write next time.
Well cousin here it has been just one week since I commenced this letter. As I did not have it finished & besides had no chance to get it to the office if I had had it done. I was down to uncles this morning to find out how all were. Aunt was having the headache yet was able to sit up. Uncle was well as usual. (?) John’s wife was feeling some better. Cousin Mary & baby are well but some of them are most terrible snotty as some youngsters generally are. The rest of the relatives are well so far as I know. I suppose brother Elmer has been at your house some few days before this. I hope that you all will enjoy his company as well as you did with me. I was in hopes that I would get to come with him but as it is I could not this spring.
Well I did think I could finish on the other number but as I did not you will not think hard of me for writing on an other. I rec’d a dandy photo from England last evening from Mr. Parker. I tell you you had just ought to see it. I am almost sure you would almost be tempted to fore sake your school teacher. That is if you could see the original instead of the picture.
The weather has been very chilly for two or three days. It was sprinkling a little this morning but at present looks very mucky. I did not get my fencing done last week as I thought I would but if nothing prevents I will get it done this coming week. Say where is Bertha G. & her man. Do they live in Ind. & say what has become of Miss Genevia. Don’t let Ell take her eye will you.
Well I will now close for this time. Will try & do better next in the future. I thing (think) this had ought to do for a month or two hadn’t it. Just give my best wishes & kind regards to all enquiring friends. With love to all, I am as ever your affectionate cousin,
F. O. Delk