FAWCETT, Henrietta to Charlotte Elizabeth Johns - 1889-07-29
From Gauss and his Children
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Letter
Address
To: Mrs. C. D. Gauss
care C. H. Gauss
336 South Flores Street
San Antonio,
Texas
Postmark: COLUMBIA JUL 3- 5 PM 1889 Marked in pencil: "Letter from Grandma Gauss 1889" (Anne Durfee's hand)
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Body
Boone County Mo., July 29th 1889.
Dear Lizzie
Your letter came to hand last week when I was just thinking I ought to write to you that your boy had left us for St. Charles that is on Monday last a week ago to day -- We were sorry to let him go and he was sorry to leave when there was so much work to be done but he said if he staid till the work was done he would have to stay till next winter -- I miss him and fear my little cow will too - by his faithful care and good management she is now the best cow on the place -- if you should keep a cow you may trust him to take care of it -- He received the check Henry sent and I supposed he had acknowledged it -- when he wrote that he was not very well, there was nothing Serious the matter -- the hot weather took off some of his winter fat, and that he did not fancy, then he was troubled with constipation but he took Seltzer Aparient regularly for a while and was relieved - He was well when he left here and looked much better than when he came -- I think that hot climate does not suit your children - you say Blanche is thin and I expect you are -- I never hear of any of you being fat except Henry and Arthur -- Perhaps you had better not urge Eugene to return till the hot season has passed. Mr. Johns suggested some time ago that Eugene should attend the University at Columbia, but Eugene did not fancy the idea, and Tate says we cannot recommend the institution for all we know about it is that there is great dissatisfaction between the Board of Curators and the teachers - the President has resigned, and some others have been requested to do so -- perhaps a year from this they will be in better humor and their affairs in a better condition.
I hope Blanche will come, we will do all we can to make it pleasant for her here and put some flesh on her -- Eugene says she will never be fat, but he can wait and see what he will see -- I suppose Mrs. Durfee will feel that she is entitled to the lion's share of her visit, but we want our share too.
Albert is here and will remain all summer -- what he will do then I do not know -- he lost his position in Denver through no fault of his -- the firm a Beef Packing Co. were doing a loosing business and had to cut down expenses, and discharged some of their force. He liked Denver but it is the only Spot in Colorado he would live at that he has seen.
Our wheat and oats turned out very well and was harvested in good order although we had some rain -- the corn is not good and will be a failure if there is early frost. This letter ought to have been written a week ago but the blackberries are my excuse this time. I have made some jam and five gallons of wine and intended to make more but the hot weather has dried up the berries so fast that it is doubtful now if I get any more.
We are all well, but Tate has been sick with dysentery -- his case was not violent but obstinate, had to lie on his back for more than ten days and take medicine -- This was trying to him for the Threshers were here during that time and he had to keep still.
Sis has much better health than last summer -- is devoted to her poultry -- takes a paper called the Poultry Keeper and studies it faithfully -- She has just had a visit from her old friend Miss Ginny McCarty who is visiting her Missouri friends and relatives -- Miss Ginny thought your boy very handsome and had very nice manners -- she saw him in his working suit which had no more fit than if it had been hung on a post. I doubt if you would have recognized him in it.
This is Mr. Gauss' birthday - he looks as well and is as well as I ever knew him to be.
Love to all
Mother
Source
Handwritten original in the private collection of the Chambless family. Transcribed to softcopy by Susan D. Chambless, February 19, 2000.
