Letters from Rachael Austin to Horace J. Austin

to feeling better about it. I shall have to stop writing for when I begin the tears will come and I cant see. I wish you would tell me where you will be the first of September. Judge Cowles is going up to Pembina and if I dont hear from May, perhpas I will go with him.

This is quarterly meeting time. Yesterday mother brought a couple of ladies home with her who stayed till this afternoon.

Mrs. Miner says she is obliged for your promised care for Charlie.

I was teaching my little class today the verse "Remember the Sabboth day to keep it holy". I tried to tell them what it meant and they had a great many questions to ask. And Willie Miner wanted to know

Vermillion Aug 18

My Dear Horace

John Williams came home yesterday noon and I got a bit of a letter, not the great big one I looked for, but if the mosquitoes were so bad, I will excuse you this time for I had a good long one only two days before.

Your mother and I went up to Vails last thursday, in the afternoon there was a great windstorm, the worst I have seen this summer, after the storm we came home and did not get home till after dark, and another storm was coming up, that seemed to threaten to descend every moment, but it did not begin till half an hour after

we got home. the next forenoon there was a fearful thunder storm. The Adelphi was struck with lightening, knocking down the chimney, tearing off the siding west, plastering on one side of room No 1 and lifting the bed stead up so that the casters came out. No one was hurt but Frank says she did not know any thing for some minutes.

It seemed very fortunate to have it in day time. there seemed to be no fire about it.

Sile got two loads of new goods last week. Judge Shriner's house burned down last week, saved all the goods.

Our old serving Society met last week to talk school house. will meet again next week.

In looking over our papers I see that the notes we have against you have never paid any interest. The one for 80 is dated Dec 1870, the one for 25. dated June 1874. I guess I shall have to pay the interest on these.

We have got a new pump in our cistern, and it is more than gay.

Belle will go home in one more week and I shall try to do the work myself.

I have not heard from May yet and I do not know how to account for it. If I do not hear I can not go to see her and it seems to me I must have something to do, something to think about, or I cannot keep up courage till you get home. O my dear Horace you and I are not much alike in that one thing. If I dont get

[?, Aug 18]

if it was wrong to survey on sunday, of course I gave them my idea. "Well" he said "Mr Austin surveys on sunday."

I am sorry you have to be bothered with mosquitoes and rain. I wish you might have a pleasant time, I do.

Dear Horace

I am still praying for you, that you may be spared to return home, if not that you may believe in Christ.

The Bible teaches that those only who receive Jesus as their Saviour can share the joys of Heaven and O if I never see you again here I want to be sure of seeing you there. I know that I am a poor Christian but Christ will overlook all my failings if I but believe in him and try to do better.

and He will do just as much for any one else, if you trust him as your Savior, He will save.

The grasshoppers have eat up nearly all my flowers of the dahlias, marigolds and asters, nothing but stalks are left. You remember the bunch of Hungarien grass in the front yard, the little yellow birds are eating it all day sometimes there are six on it at one time. I have now made twelve (12) gallons of tomato pickles, shall try to make chow-chow this week.

Monday morning all are well. I saw some of Charlies fried cakes this morning Cal ate one, but I did not. My own dear Hor "I am lonely without thee"

Good bye Doll

would do without a chimney and told him so but he said lots of people just put up stove pipes.

You have done better at killing rattlesnakes than ever before.

This is one of the days that I do not feel quite so well, still I am kicking and I have been improving ever since I told you so.

Ever your own dear Wife who loves you more than all else.

Hot Springs Aug 21

My Dear Horace

Your letter of the 15th was received yesterday and I have figured out why it was you did not get a letter for so long.

You wrote to me Aug. 2 and said you were going away further for two weeks and would probably be so far away that you would not get any mail till you got back, so I did not write till the next sunday, but now I guess you did