Mobile Ala August 3^thd

 

My Darling Brother

                        You will preceive by the heading of this that we are at last in Mobile. After much trouble we at length had an opportunity & as Jennie was suffering very much we of course we imbraced it we had quite a nice time in the way makeing the trip through in two days & four hours. Our traveling companions were two of Mississippi's legislators Mr R Seals & his brother a Captain. I was very agreeably disappointed in the road I expected to have found it in a terrible state but instead it was very good. I must bid you good night as we go to Mrs Walkers this evening & Lizzie says it is time to dress will finish in the morning

 

August 4^th 1864

We went to see "Aunt Sallie" & a heavy rain / coming up obliged us to stay all night no very great punishment. You may imagine when I tell you that I fully indorse your sentiments in regard to her & little Gordon has quite won my heart. I have seldom met a child in whom I have become more interested in so short a time. I am in fact much pleased with all of Lizzie's friends with whom I am acquainted. I am afraid that Lizzie is disappointed in your Sister. I was too enthusiastic in my expectations in regard to her & of course am disappointed. I expected too much entirely but I must explain I suppose. She is much prettier than I ever imagined thus you see I was disappointed but very pleasantly & being somewhat spoiled by darling fannies lavish affection I expected a like manifestation of sisterly love from Lizzie and did not receive it and you My Dear Brother can imagine how very bitter was my disappointment but you will wonder why I think she is not fully satisfied in me & will say it is not her / nature to tell her love in words. I thought so too but her actions are very different to what I had fondly taught myself to expect. the fault may be with me but I cannot so change my nature as to solicit either love or friendship from anyone. whatever of either I possess must be a free offering & once mine I never willingly relinquish it. I came prepared to love Lizzie and intended to have thrown aside all reserve but her maner quite changed the current of things we are friends nothing more but this is not what I intended to have written when I commenced.

 

                        My Sister Jennie bids me tell you that she will write you as soon as her nerves become more settled she commenced a letter to you yesterday but could not finish it she was so very nervous. She went to the dentist's yesterday & became so very nervous that he was oblige to stop after filling six teeth last night I thought she would go into spasms Mrs Walker & myself sat / bedside & fan her a long time besides giving her something to quiet her & made her drunk before she could sleep & after she got to sleep she talked of the pain she suffered while under the dentists hands & apparently suffered it all over.

 

                        We had our photographs taken for you but will not send them untill we learn positively where you are I saw from the papers that the 4^th had been transfered to Gibsons brigade & as I am too pretty a specimen of humanity to have my picture fall into other hands I think I shall wait a while I had not received your letter written 12^th of July when I left H but suppose it will be there by the time we get back Lizzie received your lengthy epistle of the 23^thd yesterday & it was very welcome notwithstanding its brevity by to more expectant hearts than Lizzies. realy Brother I did not know that I was so ugly untill I saw my photograph I am almost ashamed to give it even to /

 

[cross written]

 

you & after mature consideration think I will wait for you to ask for it if you want it. How much I wish you were here. I want to go to the theater tonight come & go wont you? I think that I saw Pervis Jenkins in the photograph gallery the other day & came very near speaking to him but was affraid of being mistaken but I am sure that if it were not Pervis it was someone "monstrous" like him & I regret that I did not speak. I have been looking for some familiar face ever since we came into town. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that I have not been taken for a "country bumkin" but once & that was the first day we came as we drove up Dauphine S^t I tell you after I found that I was taken for what we realy were we made good use of our eyes I felt quite independant I knew no one & was known to none what was the use of having eyes & not use them but indeed if I had have known any of your friends & have met them then I should have been tempted to have let them know that I was your Sister just to pay you for what you said about my being green but I have not as yet given you cause to blush for your Sister & upon the whole have acted creditably both to myself & my brother. I had a very great compliment paid me this morning, the greatest & only compliment that I ever swallowed & it went down without an effort. are you anxious to know what it is but you haven't a tat of curiosity I well know so I can wait until after dinner ere I tell you. "Well Sir" I was told that I looked like you in my picture. are you not flattered. I certainly do I would give half of my life to look enough like you to have the resemblance remarked. Jennie says tell Irwin I send a bushel of love & lots of kisses. Sister Lizzie says give Brother a bushel millions of love & Sis sends a heart full of love & as many kisses as you will accept. Give my love to Willie I have forgiven all his unbrotherly treatment to me & would write to him but do not know how to address his letters. Give my kind regards to L^t Jeter & Maj Pullen. God bless you my dearest Brother

                                   

Write Soon to Your Affectionate

"Little Sis"

SOURCES