McFarland-Russell Family Papers

Bleakwood Newton Co. Texas April 18th 1871

Mr Robert C Russell

Estimed Friend

To-day is gloomy and raining the wind is blowing very hard from the west the changing elements are taking a regular blow out; as the rain falls I will prepar myself to answer your welcome letter, but how to inlist you will be a mystery to me so I will have to say a few common remarks and sign my signature; I did not think you would miss my letters so I would see if you would look for any, I expect you have half a dozen other correspondent you would as soon read letters from as from I, do you make pipe lighters of mine Mr Russell; it is not altogether my fault for the mailsides[?] will not come by if the creekis the least bit raised if you do not get answers to your letters soon as you expect do not think hard unless it is an unusual delay.

Mag has brought me a cup of coffee, I think she has an idea she will read over my shoulder while I drink.

Mr Russell I must correct that mistake I made in my last letter it was not Miss Fa___ that Mr H Sudduth

was going marry; Mrs R Wingate told me Mr H Sudduth was going to marry Miss Lydia Cochran, it is wispered of Miss F to Mr S Wright;

Mr Russell you naughty boy, so selfish to think I would call you Rob, I do not see how I am to keep from calling you so in my letters but when you come up if you persist calling Miss McFarland then I will try and call you as you wish to be;

There was a young man gave me some photographs and with them he also gave me Miss Maud Hopkin's I think he had two; tell her I think she has the sweetest smile Maud knows to whom she gave her picture do not tease her,

I am as ignorant of Mr Walter Wingate's Lady love as you are Mr Russell, I am very sorry to think that my letters are held in that light to get information for some one else.

Sister Lizzie and Miss Pic Kyle[?] was down Sunday; Miss Pic thinks your picture is so handsome; I could hardly keep her from liking it, I must go and get supper then I will finish my letter;

I have come back to my writing, to have to write by candle light does not do very well; Ma says she is better this morning, I made for the cough Syrup you recom

mmended I hope it will ease her cough; Ma is very thankful to you for the kindness you have done for her. Mr Russell, it is a long time until peaches get ripe though nonetheless I shall look for you then. My candle is about to give out, I cannot write longer the clock strikes ten, do not let my short letter prevent you from writing long ones. Please excuse mistakes.

Goodnight Mr Russell, I remain your true friend,

Kate C. McFarland

Mary Mrs A Mary C Fleig's mother

Orange Orange Co Texas June 25th 1871

Miss. Kate McFarland Esteemed Friend

Your most kind and welcome letter of the 1st came to hand after a delay of some twenty three or four days. Had I not have known the Creeks were up so the mail could not come by your house. I would give you a little Scolding for your seeming neglect. but I will just drop that as I have found out it was not your fault. I think we had better release each other from that Bargain. it would not be fair for you to wait three week before you answer this. you must remember you have not told me all of the [late?] news. your letter has been written very near a month. so you must answer this the first oportunity. [sic] Well Kate I will commence to write now but I cant say that I will write you a very interesting letter is has been so long since I have had one to write. so I guess it will be quite a difficult task to find something to write about although I will do my best towards it and that is all that I can do. our thespian [Club?] have met with the most perfect success. They performed two nights for the whites and one for the blacks and they took in about one hundred and seventy five or eighty dollars. admittance twenty five & fifty cents. which I think is little enough. I think they did very well for the first time. any one of the pieces they played was well worth what they paid to the fee the [?] we also have a Soda Fount. and that is another great treat to the Orangeites. I tell you Orange is coming out of the [?] . it is improving rapidly. and there is a great many strangers moving in all. the while. did the late storm injure you much up in that section. the wind blew a perfect gale here but it was about one hundred feet above the earth so it did not damage us much. I tell you Kate I began to think it was going to be another one such as that September Gale of sixty five. [Sabince?] Pass was overflowed so that some of the houses washed off of the Blocks and the all [?] washed away. all of the citizens left town and went out to what is called the back ridge. and there is no end to the damages done at sea. but all that owned vessels in Orange seemed ot be in luck not one of them

sustained any damage. Brother was on one of ours down west at the time. the Boat was blown high and dry on the Beach but was not damaged any. Tom has got tire of home and gone off to [Telegraphing?] again has an office at Victoria now I guess he will stay there this summer and the Lord only knows where he will go to from there. he is not like any of the rest of us he is of a roving disposition. look here Kate you must Cheer up and not be giving up to disappointment that will never do. I want you to give me a good long letter in return for this one. I was disappointed myself but I did not let it bother me. I was all ready to start up to [herndon?] three weeks ago and I found out the Creeks were all up and likely to stay so for some time and I know it would not be any pleasure to me if I had all of the Creeks to swim so I thought I would [?] it of until the water went down. the River is higher right now than it has been in two years. you may look for me up that way as soon as the water falls. have you had any more weddings up with you latily[sic] come now you must tell me all the news. you know you have got to give me a good long letter in return for this. I think Capt. [Mone?] and Miss Merriman will give us a wedding before a great while I think it is high time for them to marry they have been courting long enough. you wanted to know the price of that Hydrate of Chloral you just never mind that I have paid for that long ago. How is your Mas[sic] health now. Kate I would watch for the mail every Saturday dont think because the Creeks were up I quit going to the office. all I have to do is to go there I dont have to ask if there is a letter for me I get it without asking. I have not forgotten that Picture yet. I think you have treated me right mean about it you ought to have sent it to me long ago you will have to let me have it if you dont I will worry the life out of you. well Kate I believe I have written all that I can think of at present and I think it is quite enough any way there is as much on one page of mine as there is on all four of yours and I will leave that for you to deside[sic] and it will be in my favor well enough is enough dont you say so too remember me to all the Family. write soon Farewell for the present as ever your most Sincere Friend R.E.R.

PS excuse all errors

Chopin LA Apr 5, 1891

R. E. Russell

Dear Brother

Yours of the 1st to hand and in reply would say have all of the Green shingles moved up first then if you can get the others up move them too. don't ask Miller?] for any more money if you have any money of your own use it and let me know how much you use and I will send you a Draft for the amount. We will get started up about the 15th it has been rather slow work getting in logs

caused from a tickling in the throat well I was in the same fix as you are, if you remember, when Dr Ford perscribed for me and cured me. he said it was General Debility. If you would write to him and give him your symptoms he would send you a prescriptive that would build you right up. he lives in Nachogdoches you can tell me how to speel that when I go to see you.

I intend visiting you as soon as I can get my eye sight sufficient to sew.

Kate I do not like

over skirts, is there no other way and tell me how to trim a dress They say here to trim with velvet and I know nothing about it I have a silver gray mohair and I want to make it nice and stylish too. No I have an basque patters I will send you a picture that I like and get you to cut the basque. I like the over skirt pattern but I am afraid of ruining my dress. Oh it is so nice I like Polonaise but I do not over skirts on my self, and how is children girls dresses made

Socorro New Mex Dec 2) 1894

Mr R E Russell

Dear Friend yours of the 29 just receved I hardly know whot to say as it would be imposible for me to go to Orange before the middle of March next cant Saxon administer on Jims estate I suppose it will hav to be don at once and another thing I am not strong enought to go out on the farm and take charge of things out there and besides if I went down I would wont to liv in town and hav full charge of the children I dont think I could do much with them as long as the old Lady is a live and to go so far from my Dear children I would ave to cum every year to