folder 18: February 1856

Darling Mother Cousin [A]- gave me this to put in my letter - I say write [here?] pray do not be anhappy about dear [Appy] - She says she is doing well Sleeping much better - Cousin [A] says she wished to write you a long letter but was so interupted & bothered - that she only wrote so short a letter - she has her woman [Yarah] very ill - [Clauch?] has had her baby & it has died - Dear Cousin she is so kind to me & all of us - Good by again

with many prayers for your peace & well being I am my darling Mother Your devoted Child [Ycl?]

6^th Feb 1856

My dearly beloved child

But for your most gratefully received letter by this days Mail. I would have received no later intelli gence of my precious [Appy] than that conveyed to me by the Sunday Mail. A short hurried letter from [Flouce?] dated 1 & 2^d was all that I got from your sisters. (This I ought to have got on Sunday.)Again I thank you my good child for your comforting letter of Monday. I am glad to find my beloved [Appy] did not leave her bed on Monday. I feared the unfavor able change of weather would be injurious to her. I am glad to hear she is prudent & can but hope no dreaded "drugs" [?] be left in her already delicate constitution. Gladly would I go to her - & if I thought my presence would hasten her recovery I would even leave [Floyd] to take his own [way?] & go to her. But you assure me she is doing well. & I must be content to bear my anxious fears away from her Hoping the Mercy of God will be continued to her as well as to you & yours & her sisters and those other loved ones far away from me. [Floyd] is apparently quite well his appetite quire resored- very little cough- sleeps like a rock But mercy on me no more prudence than I would expect in little [Willie]. He hates the house & would be out all day but for my watching. You know what a day this has been. he got away from me soon after breakfast & when I found where he was he was seated behind a clump of [Myrtls?] on the beach- Poor boy! - I try to give him amusement by begging him to mend broken cages &c for me. This day he let out one of my best [singers?] & it was burnt to death. I have but three others so expect to make out badly this year. But a truce with such trifles. I sent to [Fredericee?] for the bundle you said would be landed there. Butler met the boy on his way back

who said there was nothing for me - Butler took the mail bag from him & sent him to see if it had been landed at [Hamilton] - he came back empty handed - I may possibly get it on Friday. I will have the boat hailed on her way North. I am very sorry it should have so happened - Neither your fault or mine dearest- only a piece with our usual luck. The bread you so kindly sent me I regret should be lost. I still more regret the put back to your work. [Christiane?] has been quite sick since yesterday. I do not think any more so than Floyd was. I hope she will be better before I close this. I think [Marice?] will do the work as well & whenever I can get it will attend to your directions to the letter. Now the measles must spread., & it will be my durty to stay at home unless it should so unfortunately happen meither my precious [Appy] or any other of my beloved ones should need me. Our good Butler is doing his best to get on with field work but bad weather & sickness hav been serious hindrances - 5 [?] hands on sick list on an average since the first January colds the prevailing complaint. I am truly sorry my precious [Cooney] has again had toothache. poor little fellow! can the dentist give you nothing ot stop it? Tell him if he will only let the teeth be drawn I will give him whatever he will( in reason) ask for. Dear little creatures how I miss them all - how long it seems since I saw them & how much I long to see each and every one of you. I am glad you have been made more comfortable by having a carpet on your bedroom floor. It was very kind of dear Cousin [Amanda] Tell her I have long long ago thought I loved her as much as I was capable of loving - but she is ever doing something to increase the love. I am sorry you helped [sew?] it - When will you learn to take care of your health. It was the worst kind of work for you my [Toolee]

I rejoice you & my blessed [Georgia?] have again partaken of the Holy communion together. I would to God! I could be

as true a Christian as that dear child is. She is so good so pure a blessing to me & all connected with her. It is truly unfortunate that my poor [Appy] should be sick from the day she reached Savannah & the measles forbid your being with her. We cannot see. God! knows what is best!! - Does [Florence] enjoy herself as much as she anticipated?(putting aside anxiety for [Appy]). Dear Butler says "any brother in the round world ought to be proud of such sisters as he had". Tell [Florence] this it will make her way her head & took delight. Thank you darling for being gratified with my poor 20 - I felt mean that I could not make it more. Has the box got safe to hand? was the Turkey in good order wrap ped in an old petticoat? The boat was coming down the sound when the box was being packed & [Rhina] got hold of this from a bundle of rags. It was clean [Tootee]. Tell [Florence] if [Tilla] goes on she will [ha]ve nothing worth breaking in the house. & then she looks so perfectly innocent. I gave her the little lamps to clean yesterday & when I went to fill them up found she had wrenched the handle near off one of dear Buttlers lamps making a hole so it cant be used. By the way beg M^m to take no further trouble about the barrel of fluid - M^r [B] wrote to me it was in [Dariin?] & I may expect it on Friday night. I was greatly disappointed at not hearing from your dear Father by this days mail. More than a month since the last letter I have was dated. May God! grant sickness is not the cause. Oh! this constant separation is terrible!! Thursday Morning - a gloom[r?] morning this. Another entire day of work lost. & we who are so backward. Butler & [Floyd] are not the more cheerful for being confined to the house. It rains so steadily I have not been able to go to the hospital but Butler says [Christiann?] is better. complaining only of the sore throat. This is a distressing accompanyment of measles- In [Floyd]s case as well as [Christiann?] the throat is excessively sore & swells - the voice entirely changes

very distressing to babies. [?] poor little child must soon now have it. I now wish I had turned her into the cotton house of not per mitted her to come into the house after the day you left....

I would give much to know how dear [Appy] is this morningTell dear [Anna] that I have given her birds a nest & hope to increase her stock of canaries. Tell [Cooney] his "New Market Fair" will not stay here unless the Hamilton horses stay with him. We have him brought over but the others come & take him back. Whenever M^r [I HCooper] will mend up his fences [N M T.?] will be obliged to stay here. The calf is quite [?]- & is regularly fed. tho not as fat as when [Jane] had charge of her. Tell my dear little [Johny] "my dog Jim" is fat & hearty. When Butler was in Savannah an ox killed himself by an over feed of turnips. I had the hide taken off & the beef [part?] salted down the rest made into soups for the dogs they are all in good order. The ox was in very tolerable [order?].

I am at times very lonely. dear Butler is out all day when the weather will allow. [Floyd] since he is able to leave the house is amuses himself out doors until dinner. I have been employing [Rhiner] [Fella] & [Annie] in mending up old clothes & Keeping the house in order. With the ex ception of [M^r Brown] & [M^r Cotting] I have seen no one since your sisters left. [Portell] was here one day - but I did not see him. I suppose it is owing to the severity of the winter that my poultry are very backward not yet a Turkey or duck egg. Fowls lay from 19 to 21 a day. I have [? setting]...

I sent to ask old [Charles] if he had kept his chickens for you- the answer was "yes & that Mass [William] always sent for them"- I want to know how much [William] has paid him. I will if apreable to you send for them. pay old [Charles] for them & ship them ot you...

No one has occupied your room since the girls left. After they came from the Grants it was so cold I let [Floyd] & [Tip] sleep in it until [Tip] left & then [Floyd] slept there one 2 nights. afterwards. After which I had all the bedding aired & the room well cleaned up. I go in it every day & do miss you all the more. Every thing looks so forsaken. I long to have you back my darling. This letter has been [spun?] out to great length. With but little that is interesting - Gods Mercy be yours my blessed child preserve you & yours from every danger both of soul & body. May that mercy be extended to your beloved Father Sisters & brothers- & to me too your poor affectionate Mother

[AMKing]