McFarland-Russell Family Papers

I did think of sending for a set of furniture but I will wait a while and let you see what kind you had rather have. I want you to suit your self about all such as that you know you can suit your self better than I can, you did not say whether you would need any thing or not if you do and do not get it it is your own fault. tell Mae that I am going to have Henry for my waiter and so what she will say to that. you can tease her a while about that and then tell her letter I would not have her wait with any one she does not like tell her if [illegible] comes up that he will stand up with her and see how she will like that. will Kate believe I have told you all the news that I can think of at present. please excuse all errors and mistakes as I have been writing in a hurry I spent the day with Uncle Heeny + Aunt Sue and did not get home as soon as I ought to have, so you must excuse this short letter and I will try and do better next time. write soon and tell me all the news and tell all of them folks if they dont quit teasing you I will settle with them when I come present my kindest regards to all the family write me soon I remain yours forever Robert. E. Russell

Please excuse all blots R.E.R

I would buy the music box from Mrs. A, but whats the use I can hear it play when ever I want to so I think I will save my money for a better use. Though it makes very sweet music it is more like Pianno[sic] music than any other I ever heard. Kate if you just only lived near I could make you so many nice Presents I have a pair of little glass [Gaiters?] that I bought for you. They are filled with very nice Perfumery one is Sweet Pink & the other is Resida. I don't think that I ever saw any of that kind before. you ought to be down here to go to the show it commences tomorrow night. They are the same troop that were in Newton afew[sic] days ago. I will try and make good use of my time this evening as I am all alone the Boys have all gone off down town and left me so I have nothing to bother me and I will give you a long letter last Sunday I was bothered so I could hardly write. So you would know better what to say if you knew that I really meant what I said. Kate do you think that I would say such a thing if I did not mean it. I thought you knew me better than that. So you may know how to answer now for I mean just exactly I say. if you don't go to the Fair with me I will not go. I don't care to go unles[sic] you will go. you said you would like to know the tune to the song I sent you. you are to[sic] hard for me there, I don't khow the tunes to any songs me myself. I never sing there is no such thing as music in my composition and I thought you knew that. I will send you another this time and you can take care of them and mabe[sic] some day you may learn the air to them. you must learn Sam better than to take your letters and keep them from you. so you were really disappointed when Mag told you there was no letter for you. I didnot[sic] think that your[sic] not getting a letter me would be such a great disappointmint[sic] to you. tell Mag I say she had better quit teasing you if she dont I will get after her and see What she will have to say to that. tell Ma to be sure and come down. Yes Kate I believe you would be happy if your Ma could just get well once more. I know there nothing that would please me better than to hear of her recovery I know I would be very unhappy if Ma ^was^ in her situation and the only thing that will do your Ma any good is to travel. I fear she will not live long if she stays there you see if you cant get your Pa to take her off some where. Well Kate I believe I have told you all the news that I can think of this time so I will try and finish without another sheet tell your Ma I will sind[sic] the brandy by the mailcarrier tomorrow. I will put the dimensions of ring at head of letter. Please excuse all errors and mistakes and I will do the same. Present my kindest regards to all. Write soon and give me a good long letter. good evening Miss Kate Your Sincere Friend R.E. Russell

Orange. Orange County. Texas. Aug. 27, 1871

Miss. Kate. McFarland [Inserted sketch and pencilled notations - Please let me know right away whether it is large enough so if it is not I can send it back [drawn circle with "diameter" and [width] written inside circle]

Dear Friend I am once more the happy recipient of an other one of your very kind and intresting[sic] letters. and am almost at a loss to know what to write about. Though I will try and muster up something that will interest you. you wound up by asking me to write a good long letter so I will try and do so as it is your request. you know how well you if you dont I will show you. I received your ring yesterday it is a very heavy one. I will give you the dimentions[sic]of it by letter and if it will not do I can send it back and exchange for an other. you will find the exact diameter of it at the bottom of the letter so if it is not large enough please send me the exact diameter. so I will have no trouble of getting it the right size. tell your Ma that there is no Jamaca[sic] rum in town and there is no Brandy labeled French brandy so I will send her the best Cognaiac[sic]. Dr. [Hewson?] says that that cough medicine I was telling your Ma about is to be used with an inhaler so it will be of no use to her as she has not got the inhaler. Dr. [Hewson?] says if it is nothing but the Bronchitis she has that ^that^ can be cured. he says she ought by all means send for some competent Physician or if she is able to travel to go to one he says he dont think the Drs. in that section keep up with the times. he says if your Ma is not able to travel it will not cost over fifty dollars to have [crossed out text - one?] Dr go from here up there. and after they see the [patient?] and find out the nature of the case they will no[sic] exactly how to treat it. if she wont send for a Dr. keep teasing her until you get her to come down here tell her [that?], Ma. says for her to be sure and come. That she thinks the change will do her good. Well Kate I have just got back from dinner as to days Sunday and all hands at home They gave us fried chicken for dinner and you may believe I got my share. Tom is at home now must I tell him what you said. he had some pictures taken this morning and I tried to get him to give me one but he said they were all given away I was going to send it to you if he had [have?] given it to me but I did not tell Him so if I had I guess he would have given it to me Mrs. Anderson has an Album with a music box in it she has just returned from Galveston and She all ways finds something pretty when ever she goes. I did think that

Orange. Texas. August 20 1871

Miss. Kate. McFarland

Esteemed Friend

Your most kind and welcome letter of the 13 came to hand last mail and I now seat myself to reply. and I am at a loss to know what to write about. I will try to make my letter as interesting as I can. it has been so long since I have written a letter I have amost forgotten how to write . I did not know what to think of your not writing sooner. but as you have been sick I will look over it. but you must do better in future Kate I tell you. you must do away with that old contract. I thought by your not writing you were offended with me. I have found out better now so I will drop that subject. you took good care but to tell me about the joke Clark got 'on you when he was up there. about you calling him Mr. Russell and asking him if he was just from Orange he says you must have been thinking of me was it so. I didnot[sic] think that you ever thought of me only when you received a letter from me. Though I would infer from that. That you did. I have not delivered your message to Mr. & Mrs. Moore yet. he has not returned from Galveston yet I will call and see them when he returns. I am glad to hear that [Gus?] and Issabell are coming in to see you. you had better try and persuade them to move back to Newton. you said Clark told you that Miss Dora was to be married soon she is not married yet: and I will never believe her and [Tom?] McClannahan will marry until I see them married I don't think he will have her. you said I would have a chance enjoy myself but I dont think there will be much enjoyment there for me as the Girls I love to dance with will not be there they never visit Mrs. Hannahs. old Gov. Woods got married the other day he is about sixty and the woman he married is about twenty-five. his Daughters Mrs. Jack-son & Miss Emma did not like it at all. are any of the Folks up your way going to the Fair in [Jasper?]. I think will have to go to it how would you like to go if you wish to go I will come by for you if you will go with me. Kate Capt Lancaster did not get the

ring last trip as the jeweler does not have the kind he wanted he told him that he had sent on to New York for a new supply and they would be on in a few days so I guess he will get it this trip - Tom has left Victoria he will be home to day or tomorrow he lets on like he don't care anything about home but I know better than that. he loves home as well as the next one. but he dont like to acknowledge it. he went from Victoria to Houston to take charge of an office there I don't know what made him give it out. you can tell your Pa that Mayor Agusten is still living out about Liberty. I don't know his Post office. I guess he can find out by writing to the P.M. at Liberty. Kate you said that not one downhere had asked you to share their heart and home. What you say if I were to ask you to share mine. and would you believe me if I was to tell you I loved you and no other.

Kate I will not send the things that I promised as I have no way to send them. you can let me know before I come up whether you want any thing or not and I can bring it my self. That mail carrier they have in jail is a bad man I would not trust him with any thing. if all reports are true if they give him justice they will hang him. old Leander Fuller has come down after his wife since [Lundy?] was [drown?]. I don't know whether she will go with him or not. I was very sorry to hear that you have been sick you must quit that way you have of [doing?]. I am in better health now than I have been for five years. I think my last trip up to Newton must have cured me. it is either that or hard work I tell you I have just linked right down to it every[sic] since I came home from Newton and I expect to keep at it for awhile yet. you said you hoped I would enjoy myself better the next time I come up. I assure you I never enjoyed myself better in my life thatn I did when up there. Well as I have told you all that I can think of at present I will hold up you will find inclose[sic] in this one long Balad[sic] and if you will write soon I will send some more. Kindest regards to all. I will [illegible] up by asking you to excuse all errors write soon to your Sincere Friend R.E. Russell

Bleakwood Texas August 22, 1871

Mr. Robt E. Russell

Esteemed Friend I received your kind and very welcome letter of the 20th, and was not expecting to answer it so early until Ma asked me to write tonight. I looked for an answer Yesterday when Ma told me there was no letters I felt rather disapointed[sic] three or four hours there after Sam gave me your letter. Through love of fun, I was not it was from you there until I saw your monogram. and you see I can be a prompt correspondent sometimes. and if [illegible] that contract what will keep me from writing, and you from getting answers sooner to your letters. I was very much surprised to hear that Clark had told my mistake, I think now he must have been glad it occurred there he would have something to tell when he went back, but as it is told I hope there is no harm done,

Ma requested me to ask to you procure for her some Jamaica Rum if in Orange. if not there please get the best French Brandy you can get, or if that is not there either get the cough medicine you was telling her of whilst here she has forgotten the name of it. You will find enclosed one dollar to get it. I could not get any [currency?] and obliged to send in this way if the medicine cant arrive we [cant?] send [illegible] what is due, Ma wishes to make some medicine, if you think

is any danger in sending it by the mail order please to label the medicine cough medicine. Mr. Russell I hope you will not think strang[sic] of me for asking you to get this medicine for I know no one there to send to or acquainted with but you. We have tried to get Ma to go some where for her health but she says she can not go. There has been just as bad cases as hers cured, then why can not the Dr. cure her, if could get well I would be the happiess[sic] person on earth.

Mr. Russell do you not think sometimes that you ought to quit writing to me. I find you to so much trouble to get things for me and see my letters made up of request. I am thinking why you did not send the [line?] with the songs, as I am not entitled to have all I want & must be content, (if I am not-)with them & knowing how you dislike to be frank. I will say I am much pleased with the song and your kindness to send them.

There is some of the family going to the fair that is I have not heard them say anything about it, and if I was going I would as soon go with you as any one, though I guess I shall not go. You asked "What would I say if you was to ask me to share your heart and home", if I thought you meant what you said I would know better what to say, and to have you love me, ought I not to be [proud?] of the honor, so I will take your word for it. as it is very late at night. I think I have written quite enough I have been writing ever since eight O'clock and here it is

eleven and only have written two pages, are you not sorry for me. Well I thought I would tell you not to work too hard but I see it will no use.

Ma says give her kindest regards to you. and I am not certain that the rest of them sent theirs: Ann is writing so near me for half a chance I could see to whom she was writing, but I will not destroy her confidence in me. I think she has beaten me by two pages. Write soon and let it be a long letter.

Goodnight Mr. Russell. Your sincere Friend Kate McFarland

Bleakwood. Newton Co. Texas August 13th, 1871 Mr. Robt. E. Russell Esteemed Friend.

Do you think I am predetermined to write at this time. and no sooner. it could not be call negligence for I got ^an^ answer to your very welcome letter almost finish when I took the fever. as I have missed and almost forgotten it. I will try and write you the news. I have looked all the morning for [Miss?] [Kittie?] and Sister [Ann?] until I have come to the conclusion they are not coming, and I will spend the Evening in writing to some friends I have some letters that has been wanting five weeks for an answer well may they call me negligent, but - today I will try and [illegible] myself.

I must surely write to Isabella [pencilled in notation "1" inserted here] & [Geo?] this evening or catch a good scolding from them soon. we received letters from them

[pencilled in notation "1 Westhard? inserted here]

last week telling us of nothing prevented they would start out this fall. I look to that time with the greatest pleasure and delight: although I know it will make the next separation tenfold worse, they may stay with us until the last of the winter. even now I do not like to think of his going back.

Mr Clark called to see us yesterday though did not stay long. he was going over to his Uncle's he said I did not much believe him. he thought he could get a good joke on me. I shall tell him the next time he undertakes or teases me that I will not mail another letter to him, ungrateful Clark: he told me Miss Dora Frances was to be married soon. so you will have another chance to enjoy yourself and "swing them right& lef". " There was a marriage in Mrs. [H. Kelly's?] family last week. [Mrs.?] S. Wright - a cousin to Clark W---. Miss [Mary?]. Kelly. must have been a very pretty bride. though she is [six?] years