Letters - Dear Alice, love to all, Your freckled cos, Maude

Dear Reader, we interrupt the correspondence between Alice and Leon to bring you a letter to Alice on the subject of Leon's interest in her - enjoy!


                                                                                                                       Battle Lake, Minn.
                                                                                                                          July 6th, 1899
Dear Alice –
    Your letter received to day, found me home, just recovering from a plague inherited of Mother Eve. I left Aunt Rose’s the morning of the 4th. went to Clitherall to the celebration, Where they picked on Abbie and I once, to ride in the great calathumpion paridde, with beautiful ladies.

     We went through town once had turned around and were just stating back, and a young fellow from Otter Tail, Ray Austin, and his sweetheart Eleanor Hunter were coming to town. His horse became frieghtened at the make belief Indians in the paraide and ran away, he ran up around Albert Taylors old house, we were stopped in front of the house when the horse rushed around in front of the house, they would have run into us, but the buggy struck an old washing machine and turned bottom side up, the boy and girl both under it, the horse dragged the buggy off from them broke loose and away he went, I saw the girl raise her head, groan and then she fell back fainting, they carried her to the Hotel.
I heard afterward she was not hurt bad, the boy was all right, but the buggy was smashed up pretty bad. I never had anything make me feel so sick for a little while as that did.

     Bro. Roberts and Kelly were there so I got to see them after all, Aunt Rosa wanted me longer but I knew I couldn’t work this week, so came home.

     We just heard Winnie had killed a deer, good for him. Will look for them home in a couple of weeks. Wish you could come with them. Well Alice now for your question, my you are enough to set me crazy, did you read your letter over after you wrote it. Why, it would me all up in knots to keep track of it. But I think I understand your trouble.
     Of course you cant refuse a man until he asks you
    But just look here, you thought Leon a gentleman you liked to get letters from him and all that. But the way it turned out was it all right?

     Leon don’t think so. His future looks as dark as night. For he thought his prize was sure. And he says he can’t give up as long as you are single and as poor as Mr. John. T. He seemed to take a fancy to you when you were in MO. and now after so many years he finds out where you are and wrote to you. If he is a gentleman as you say he is, do you think he would have written if he had not cared something for you. I don’t think he would. So would it not be easier to give an excuse for not writing now than to have to make excuses for writing and encouraging him. If he don’t care anything for you he wont care if you don’t write, and if he does, and it will never him any good, so you better not write unless you want another broken hearted lover on your hands.

     Alice I am in sympathy with the poor old cast-offs. And I have been there. And it is worse then death, to have to endure. And I don’t believe anyone can ever get over it.

     I think it best to keep on the safe side as much as possible. I would not know what excuse to make if I were in your place, I guess you have got you foot in it all ready. But better not wait till you get in all over before you try to get out.

There is a good piece in the Autumn Leaves on this very subject I wish you had it, it is in the July No. the woman writing that piece says it is useless to ----(chewed writing, cannot be deciphered) ------ -- never marry out of the church, and then go with anyone you please. Well there is no use writing any more you know better to do that anything I could tell you.

    How I wish some one could tell me what to do. I think I feel some as you do, lonesome love sick, heartsick and sinsick, there I didn’t mean to call you sin-sick, that is just for me. But there is no one that can help me out of my trouble and I cannot help myself, so I will try to be cheerful as I can with a heart as heavy as lead. I must close and write to the boys, I shall ---(chewed)--- to see them come home. Birch went out after Aunt Lois to work and he didn’t know it. They told him she would go with him, and after she went to Lon’s she didn’t know he would do—so she went up town with Ralph and in a little while she saw Birch drive down by to Lon’s after her. Of course she did not smile, Well I think a good deal of Abbie and Birch, I hardly know which one I do think the most of. But I guess it is Birche’s cousin.

Well I am going to stop writing to you for once or the paper factory will bust.
Write soon ask some more questions if you want to. I will tell just what I think about them that is all I can do., different people have different thoughts so if mine don’t suit you, think up some that will-
by by.

                                                                                                                       love to all,
                                                                                                                 Your freckled cos,
                                                                                                                         Maude