My Dear Miss Heacock:
I write you a few lines to let you know
that I am well, and I hope you are the same. We have horses,
cows and sheep, and I get up the cows. Once I helped Miss P.
to milk, but the old cow kicked me over, and I never tried to milk
since then. Mr. P made me and his little boy some rabbit traps,
and we go every morning to the traps. I got one this morning,
and Mr. P. showed me how to skin him.
We have a great many cattle and sheep. I went
with Mr. P. to the wharf, Friday to ship some of them. We have nineteen
hogs and some very pretty pigs. I like my home very much. Miss P.
has made me a suit of clothes, and is going to make me another suit
next week. As it is about bed-time I will close.
Yours
truly,
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Dear Miss Heacock:
I received
your letter last week, and was glad to hear you all at the Home were well. I
have been well ever since I came to the country, and have grown to be a large
boy.
I can ride horses and milk the cows. I go to
church sometimes, and I read the Bible Sundays. How many children
have left the Asylum since I came away? Give my love to all the
teachers and children. Write soon.
Yours
Truly,
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Dear Miss Heacock:
Please to
excuse me for not writing to you sooner. I think I ought to write to
you twice a month, but I have so many little things to do that I don’t
think about writing. The little things are the most important of all;
if you do the little things right of course you will do the big things.
Miss
A. has just finished baking doughnuts. I enjoy the fresh air very
much.Mr. T. and Mr. E. go out hunting almost every day, and bring
in birds and rabbits; they think it is a fine sport. They are going
down into the country the last of the week with their dogs and
hunt for birds and rabbits.
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Dear Friend:
I have been thinking about writing to you for a long time. I
received your kind letter soon after Christmas and was very glad to hear from
you. I am ever so much oblige to you for the pretty card and will keep
it to remember you. We have been having splendid weather for going to
school. We had no school here last week the Teachers had an Institute
and there was no school. I go every day and study geography mental and
written arithmetic spelling grammar reading writing. We have about fifty
scholars altogether and there are nine Colored children goes seven girls and
two boys. We have a nice school teacher and I like her very much.
This
is a very dark night and it is raining. I hope it will clear tomorrow.
I have only missed 3 days and a half since school began. How I would
like to see you all and look at the home. Give my love to the little
folks in the nursery and tell them to be good little girls and boys.
Give my love to the big girls and boys tell them that I said that
I wanted them all to be as good as they can and try and do right.
Do you have as many tube roses now as you had when I was there?I mind
there used to be two beds full of them one on the girls side and one
on the boys. I also remember the pretty honeysuckle over the porch.
Do they have a slaughter-house over there yet?
I hope you will all
have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. The Christmas I was there
they sang Happy Christmas Morning. I would like to hear them sing
it again. Give my love to them all and keep lots for yourself.
From
your friend,
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Sept. 14, 1884
Dear Miss Heacock:
I was very glad to hear from you. I love my home very well. I
have learned to milk, and sweep the yards every Saturday, and read
on Sunday. We are having cool weather. We had plenty of
watermelons. Charles Matthews has been over and I was very glad
to see him. One Sunday I went out riding and saw Thomas Jenkins
on the road I was very much pleased to see him. I have
got a slate, geography, and a history.
We have a great many of cabbage and sweet potatoes. I wash
the dishes every day. Sometimes I rock the cradle and pull weeds from
around the flowers in the garden and dig sweet potatoes and get cabbage. Please
give my love to all. How is my brother and all the boys and girls?
Yours
truly, |
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Nov
4, 1884
Miss Heacock:
As mother was writing to you I thought I would write you a little
note to let you know how I am improving in my studies. Give
my love to all the little boys and girls. My mother has bought
me a little goat and I am very proud of it. Please excuse
this bad writing.
From
your little friend,
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Dec.
7, 1884
Dear Miss Heacock:
It has been a long time since I have written to you. I
hope you have not forgotten me. C. M. came to see me the
day before he went to Philadelphia. We had a good time. N. spent a while with
me the other day. I showed him the cards, books and things to amuse
him.
On Thanksgiving night there was a procession in
town. The Democrats were having a good time. Their caps were all lighted
up. Mr. G. had a pretty arch in his front yard. Mr. C. house was lighted
up. Last Sunday a gentleman brought an eagle for him to stuff. It
hung in the shed until Saturday. It was a bald eagle, large and fat,
and it looked very strong. Mt. T. got most of it done yesterday,
he has nearly finished, he is going to have the wings spread out.
I think it will look pretty.
Our well has been so low that we have
not been able to get water for some time, we have been getting water
from the neighbors. Yesterday it rained all day, at night the wind
blew very hard and blew off three of Mr. T. bee hives. To-day
it is very bright and sunny. Did you notice how beautiful the sky
was? I have not heard from my sister yet. C. M. told me
about the new house you are building; have you moved in it yet?
Your
friend,
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Dec 16, 1884
Miss Heacock:
I wrote a letter to my sister. Will you please hand it to her. I
have 40 cents for Christmas money. Mrs. Parker told her daughter
Carrie and myself the one that would learn the 103d Psalm first she
would give 25 cents we both said it the same time only I knew it
best so she gave me 13 cents and Carrie 12.
What has become
of Eliza? No one has heard from her since she left us. Mrs.
Parker says I am a good deal of help to her this winter. I
can cook all the vegetables for dinner. I have baked cookies
three or four times.
Your
friend,
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