Personal Correspondence of Mary L. McHenry
1860 and 1861
Denison Iowa
February 1st 1861
Dear Julia
I received your very welcome letter about one hour ago and
hasten to answer it. The mail goes out one day earlier than
general so I had to answer it to night or else wait
until next mail. I am pretty well at pleasant and have been
for a week past. I was pretty sick for nearly five weeks
(but not as you thought). Sarah has got quite well again.
Billy went home last Monday. He said that he was uneasy
about the cattle but we thought perhaps he was a little
home sick. Oh Julia I wish you would come up and see
us it has been so long since I seen you that I have
almost forgot how you look. I think that I heard a Billy
say that Maria was working over to Mr. Somerville's, that is
all I know about your folks. The weather has been rather
pleasant for four of or five days back, but the snow is quite
deep. There has been about two feet of snow this winter.
The sleighing has been pleasant until about a week ago when
most snow fell, and it has drifted pretty bad..
We have not had any Mail from East or West for two
weeks until to night. The western mail came in
Dear Julia I have been very busy this week and am
quite tired but I intend to write you a long letter
if I can think of enough to write. You wanted to
know what became of that present (onion) of yours.
Well I planted it and gathered seed but it got
spilled and most of it got wasted. I will go in to
the buttery and see if there is any and if there is I will
send you a part of them, now be sure and plant
them. No Julia there is not a single one left you will not
send me your onion again will you? You wanted to know
in your other letter if I had seen your marriage in the
Magnolia Republican. I did not that I remember of.
Mrs. Phinpton was at our house a visiting last Saturday
and Mrs. Wood came with her. Julia I wish you
would get you a farm up here some place close
to town, it would be so pleasant, at least it would
be for me then I could come over once in a while.
I have to stay at home day after day all a lone and I get
lonesome sometimes. Ellen has named her baby Laura
Applin ! I have made me a new calico drefs this week I will
send you a piece of it because I think it is pretty. I had got an
other one to make, and I wish I suppose you had a nice
time New Year. I was sick all day so you can guefs how
I enjoyed my self.
I do not know whether I ever told you that Mr. Baer had
returned or not, if I have not I tell you now that he has and if
I have told you before you need not read this part of my letter.
Oh Julia we had some fun with Billy the other day. We have
got a colt that make it a point to throw me one off of him
that gets on.. Well Billy though he could ride him
he did not hardly get on to him before he was off again
and the colt got Charley Ellis laid down in the
snow and laughed because he laughed so hard he could
not stand up any longer. Billy had made his brags
that the colt could not throw him. It swears and
plunges around so we call him Skyrocket for
a name. Fannie Olmstead and Alma Dan are going to school
here. Fannie Bishop has been going. Her folks have come
and take her home much to the displeasure of the
young gentlemen in this vicinity. We have to a
great printer here his name is Crowell (Crow/well)
I guefs he must be a Shanghai or Cotchil in China
(Cohin China). Moms and I are home all a lone. Edward
has gone to see some of the girls I expect, at least
he is not at home. Dear Julia is not this a long letter?
Please serve me the same. All of your letters are so short. Please
write me a long one and tell me all about your self and every
thing else you can think of. Write just as soon as you receive
this from your affectionate friend
Mary L