Quincy April 25/86

 

My Dear Friend Parna

                        I was quite surprised to get a letter from you after so long a silence but I was interested in every word you wrote. I had heard through Lou of your Mothers death, also of Lees wife. it was a sad time for you all & you have my cincere sympathy in your bereavement. What a great change it has made in your family. the rendering of such loveing ties are so hard to endure. now you & Lee are living quietly by yourselves & the little boy & if you feel as I do you are glad to move into another house so that you will not be constantly reminded of the suffrings of /of the absent loved ones. it is so hard on the nerves & it does not do any good, not that we want to forget them by any means, but it is better for you to have new scenes. You are living very much as we are at present, only we have a larger family. Lottie & her husband & babe on year old, are with us, & we enjoy it much. we have been living togather for about a year & a half. we have our two youngest children with us. Charlie our oldest son lives on a dairy farm of his own, about two miles out, has been married five years. Lucius is in San Francisco Cala, & has been the last  two years. we have a family of seven the most of the time. My husband does not have good health he is like his Mother, subject to a cough, he has been miserable all winter, but the last few weeks he seems better. I am like yourself, the infirmities of age tells upon me, though I am seldom sick long, sick headache is my greatest trouble.

 

            This is Easter Sabbath, I did not go out this morn, but staid & took care of baby Willie, & let all the rest go. we had very interesting servises at our church also this afternoon for the children I expect to go this eve. I enjoy living in town, & I think you will. do you have far to go to church. little Ira will be a great help & comfort to you in many ways. It must have been a great trial to Lee to part with his little daughter, but he knows she will find a good mother in Debby & as you are so near he can see her occasionally. 

 

Monday afternoon I did not finish this yesterday. this is a cold windy day. we had a hard rain storm last Saturday night did not do any damage here. I see by the papers that Iowa has been visited by a severe storm & in many places made terrible havock & many lives were lost. I am glad Lee could make a visit to his old friends. how much I should like to see Mr & Mrs Keaton. John & I wrote them about a year ago & they never answered it. Wilber visited us a few years ago when my children were all at home & we had a nice time. I suppose Aggie is a young lady now. how much I wish Lee could have visited us when he was so near. Give my kind regards to him & tell him to come & bring you & Ira. Lottie sends love to you. she has that little work basket you gave her when she was a little girl. she keeps her thread in it. it is made of pastboard & covered with pieces of your dresses. do you remember it. I hope you will write again as soon as convenient & tell me all about yourself & family give much love to Debby & husband when you write. I knew Dr & Mrs Minor well he made my first teeth, they visited at our house many times. Ira Wisner the man that once lived on your farm in Durant hung himself last spring, the cause was loss of his mind. My husband unites with me in love to you all Your affectionate friend

                                    C. S. Waldo.

SOURCES