Oh! my how it is raining & of course tooth ache follows. I hope you never have it. "tooth ache & camp life. Horrors. I should die. Good bye.

 

Handsboro July 5^th 1864

           

Dearest Irwin

                                    Listen while I tell you my enviable reputation with the children. Nannie Taylor "Where is Nettie I wonder"? Laura—"Up stairs writing, of course where do you suppose, she never does any thing else now, she used to ride all the time but now she writes". Rachael "No she is not for I heard her in the parlor." Laura—"Then on your life don't speak to her I know she's got the tooth ache". "let's see." L. "stop girls, for mercies sake don't go in there she is knitting & I know the roof will fall on us; I was wondering what 'twas clouding up for but now we certainly may expect a storm".

 

Thanks Laura for the credit you gave me at first I would rather be accused of writing all the time than any thing else what is it Nannie? Am I going bathing to day? Yes I guess so if you would like my company. "I never go unless you go for then I always have plenty of fun & some one to / stay in with me as long as I want to. Will you go in before dinner or wait till school is out?" "Go ask your mother when she would rather have you go in & let me know. I must write to day & carry the letter up to Mrs. Cowan to carry to Mobile as then it will reach its destination much sooner than one sent in the mail, Good bye till bathing time". I wrote a long letter to send in to day's mail but could not resist the temptation to write again & if you are at all like myself you can't receive too many letters let them be ever so long. I wish I could receive a few more & much longer & more frequent than the precious but I know you are kept very busy & even in your leisure moments you must feel too weary & restless to write long at a time, besides having your full quota of correspondents. Your "old flames" would probably grow less bright if they knew their fuel was exhausted & yours tailed off for a lump of fat. by the way you seem to have forgotten my size; in your estimation I am "a certain little individual", "a most unseasonable little woman", etc. I almost wish I was small to see whether you would not call me giantess or some other equally appropriate name. Let me / remind you that you are only head & shoulders taller than your Jennie & not near so strong^(?) I forgot to tell you in my last that while passing through the woods on our way to O.S. Anola & Aunt Mary selected several places suitable for coal kilns & I believe would have entered the tracts if I had not suggested that we might find a more pleasant & better locality. They turned in utter amazement at the former supposition but yielded when policy was placed in the same connection. "The idea of a coal burner's wife wanting anything like society seemed preposterous in the extreme." I would not be surprised if they were "received" on the entry book for your opinion, at any rate I know you will have the refusal as they are completely hidden by pine tops & straw. I believe Aunt purposes binding me out as an apprentice to some of those burners this side of Biloxi What think you? or would you rather give me the first lesson in gathering the aforesaid article? We would do remarkably well in this line of business as we both understand so well how to commence & end too I reckon. I think some of going into the country and taking a school. I can / get a situation either as governess with ten pupils or a public school with about thirty at a price of $3 per month each. What do you think of it. The only objection would be the uncertainty of regular mails. I will not accept the situation until I know what you think of it as you say I have got to mind you some day. I suppose I may as well begin to prepare myself by asking you a choice & I charge you to give it as though I was your wife indeed. I'd like to know what my husband was thinking of when this note was given to him. now don't say "nothing i.e. Jennie", but tell me & I'll give you something very very s=s sour when we meet as you say you are not fond of sweet meats. in other words I will kiss you with out waiting for an invitation. Be sure you tell me. Yes, it is raining sure enough I will have to stop knitting if it affects the atmosphere to such a degree. Mr. W. W. Graves left us this morning & will probably be gone some time if not longer. but I believe this was part of my last communication. excuse the repetition I wrote so much nonsense I scarcely know anything that was in

 

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Have just seen Mrs. Myers she sends her respects & congratulations on your promotion & wishes you all success in exculpating yourself

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