March 11, 1879

Dear Brother,

Every one of my children has been ailing more or less within the past few weeks, and many families are troubled with something which seem somewhat like a cold, but Dr. Wells seems to think it is what is called influenza. He says some of them get along without treatment and other cases runs into pneumonia. John has had something like pneumonia and the doctor seems to think that his liver is swollen. The doctor was to see him a good many times. He can sit up nearly all day now, and seems to be mending, but spits a good deal of bad looking stuff yet. Sallie and Annie were quite poorly by spells for some time. On Saturday last Annie's breast became so painful and sore that she could not cough well, and I sent for Dr. Wells. She seems to be mending fast now. Sometimes she coughs a good deal like a child with whooping cough. Generally when she has the hard spells of coughing a little whiskey weakened and sweetened seems to afford a good deal of relief. It has seemed to be a great benefit to John in both cases of pneumonia that he has had. Alletha has been troubled a good deal with toothache during the winter. She has been troubled with earache lately. I feel greatly relieved now that they are getting better of their coughs.

I have sad news to write you about Richard Overbey. He hung himself on the 17th of February. He went old Mr. Turner's security about that land suit and that was on hand so long. Mr. Turner got beat in the suit and it is probably that his securities will have a large amount to pay. Richard's land was advertised for sale and I have heard that he was much troubled about it. About six months previous to Richard's death, Reuben Gale had murdered his son James Overbey. I think that Richard studied about his troubles until his mind gave way suddenly. The expression on his face, as he lay a corpse, was pleasant. It seem so hard to me, that an innocent man, and one who provided so well for his family, should be so troubled by the wrong doings of others. Gale was sentenced to the penitentiary for life. Some effort has been made to grant him a new trial, but a man that I heard speak of the case today, I think talked like he thought it was doubtful about a new trial being granted him.

I received the letter about your house being burned last Saturday night. I deeply sympathize with you, but, I beg that you will not get low spirited. Try to put a firm trust in the wisdom of God who can see so much better what is best for us than we can see for ourselves. On account of John and Annie not being well I am afraid to go away from home yet to stay long. Soon after you get this, I want you to write me word where you will be in about three weeks from this date. As soon as the children get well, and I have a chance, I think I will ask some of my neighbors and friends to contribute something toward helping you. Money is very scarce but I think I shall try anyhow. If you were just in Ky. amongst your old acquaintances and everyone would give or lend even a quarter, what a great help that would be. If I can get any help for you I want to send it in a registered letter in about three weeks if I know where to send it. I have been compelled to buy a good deal on a credit. The boys work well, but what we have sold has been so low for sometime; and groceries and many other things have not fallen accordingly. We live economically. Tom Overbey became heavily embarrassed about his business affairs I think sometime last year. I think he managed to get time granted him, and I hope that in the course of years, he will get along. He is very industrious. I expect Harvey is trying to help him.

Old Uncle Nat Conway is dead. Henry Bailer died at Bill Duncan's. Aunt Cassie has been dead a good while, also Phebe that used to belong to Sallie Tyler. Bill Duncan lives near here. I think all his children are industrious, as far as I know. I would like to write you more about them, but I will put it off until I have more time. I think that Polly Brown's P.O. is Barton County, Georgia. Harvey is expecting her to visit him soon. Annie which is the youngest one of my daughters that can hear has written you a letter. I want to get the older children to write soon. You mentioned their writing in the letter next, I believe, to the last. Along about that time they were going to school when convenient and part of the time they were preparing for the Exhibition, and lately they have been a part of the time not well, and Luke and Alletha, when able, have been very busy. John has been unable to work, I expect for nearly a month. He has got so he can sit up all day now. Be sure to write me about where Willie Tyler is, etc. I have not time to write more now.

                                                                                                                                       Robertson County, Ky.

                                                                                                                                                   August 8, 1879

I wrote to you perhaps a month ago a business letter and earnestly requested you to answer it soon, but have received no answer yet. I received another notice, which, I suppose, was something about our land. I concluded I had better go to Brooksville and see the papers. I went past Mr. Jett's. He seemed afraid to try to by (a) share at a time on account of the mortgage on yours. Jo Duncan, I think, would have liked to have bought mine, but I thought if I should sell the one share alone to him the remainder might no sell so well. The Clerk, Mr. Poage, at Brooksville read Gus Tyler's petition and also yours, and a lawyer, Mr. Fields I think his name was, read me a copy of mother's will. Jo Duncan went to Brooksville and I requested him to find out what he could do about your mortgage, for I thought there would be nothing wrong about it, as we could perhaps then judge what was best to do. From some papers which the clerk read, I think one a receipt and the other perhaps something similar, I inferred that if you get justice done you, about five hundred and five dollars and some interest and perhaps the expense is all you ought to have to pay. But I am not, by any means, positive that I rightly understood him. Mr. Powers was not at home. Jo Duncan said he thought that Mr. Powers had a few lines which I had written and sent to you, and that you had sent them to him. But the Clerk said they had not been filed. A lawyer seemed both friendly and well informed, I think Fields is his name, seemed to think the land would sell for a very good price if it was sold altogether; spoke of knowing of men who wanted it. He told me one of the worst things that I could do, for my own interest, would be to have it divided. Said that there was a probability that your interest would have to satisfy the remainder of the mortgage; I suppose he meant if you did not make some arrangement to prevent it, even if your credits were allowed, and if mine were cut off to itself, I might be able to sell it to advantage. I felt for a while like I did not know what to do for the best, but, I soon got to earnestly believe that the best thing for us all would be for the Court to grant a decree in Sept. for the whole farm to be sold together, provided that we can obtain yours and Willie Tyler's consent in time. So I left a few lines in care of a lawyer to be given to Mr. Powers, requesting him not to use my name in a petition for a division, as I had concluded not to resist the sale. I have a letter written to send to Brooksville telling them that I believe that the land will sell to best advantage to sell it altogether, but, that if you would not agree to it, or if you sent no word in time; and the Court granted a petition for the sale of the interest of Sallie's children, that arrangements also me made to sell my interest at the same time and in connection with theirs.

If you are willing for the land to be sold, I expect you had better write Willie immediately. I told Mr. Jett last summer that I thought that twenty five dollars per acre was a good price. It is a beautiful place and nice farm, and I believe, if put up at the highest bidder, and all shares together, it will bring more than that much per acre. Now by prompt action, I think, this case can be tried in Sept. next, and I beg that you will drop your fence business and attend to your interests here immediately. My opinion is that if the whole place is sold together it will have to go to the highest bidder, and that the notes will have to be drawn in accordance therewith. Notwithstanding any previous arrangements Gus may have made, I expect no other course would be lawful. Aug. 9 I am in Mt. Olivet; got the card to Alletha. I think you had better come here as soon as you can, if well enough, but if you cannot come please write to me and also to your lawyer, so that he may manage so your part will not go low if it should happen to be sold by itself. I wish you could come to Kentucky to live, even if you lived on rented land till you got your business straight.

                                                                                                                                                   October 13, 1879

Dear Brother,

I received your postal card of the 6th of Oct. on yesterday. I was painfully surprised to learn that you did not intend to come to Ky. to live. I counted so much on your coming that I have been writing to Sallie about you all coming, and she seemed so pleased and interested. I dread now to tell her that Fannie and the children are not coming. I think that she would easily recognize Fannie by having seen her picture. When she last saw Fannie she had not learned to write, you I suppose, remember. I did so much wish to see Harry and Charlie together as they are so nearly of an age. Annie kept asking me last week if I were looking for you that day, and I think once she heard a wagon said something about maybe it was you coming.

The reason I have not written to you for some time, I thought perhaps, before you would have time to get the letter, you would be on your way to Ky. I think you wrote in a letter from Jamesport to direct my letters to that place for the next ten days, but I think before the letter could have reached you the ten days would have been out, and I have been thinking so long maybe you would be here in a short time, that I hope you will not attribute my not writing to neglect.

We are all tolerably well now, and the neighbors are generally well. Luke was married on the 11 of September to Miss Tobitha Robertson, a daughter of John Robertson, who is one of our neighbors. They are living here now (I mean Luke and his wife) and will probably stay until next fall.

Frank Curtis is teaching school. Alletha, Annie, Nat, and Charlie all went to school today. John says he wants to go next week. The school is very largely attended.

I wrote a few lines to Mr. Powers of Brooksville last Friday was a week ago to know what the Court did in regard to the Bracken land. I have received no answer as yet. I think I will go to Mt. Olivet tomorrow or soon and if there is no answer, I think I shall write to Mr. Fields who I believe will answer my letter. I inquired of Mr. Fields about the cost of the suit in the Moore case, and he inquired of Mr. Ward for me. He wrote me telling me that Mr. Ward's fee was two hundred dollars with interest. He said that he and Mr. Clark's fee was one hundred dollars, and up to the time that I saw him, which was when I was in Brooksville last, or at the time he wrote, I forget which, he said they did not charge interest. I told Mr. Fields that Gus had been receiving rents, and I thought he ought to pay them. Mr. Fields had not mentioned pay to me before I inquired. I inquired myself partly to have an idea whether Gus was justifiable in holding back the rents. I think Gus certainly ought to pay these fees and not suffer either of them to run on interest. I was very much pleased with Mr. Fields appearance. He appears intelligent and kind. I am very anxious to know what was done in court. I want to sell my interest as soon as suitable arrangements can be made. I wrote to Fannie and Willie, when I was in Brooksville, about how I thought was best to manage about the land, but have received no answer. I did not write to Mr. Tyler any thing about it for he has acted so strangely about not answering my letters.

I believe it will be best for you not to be in a hurry about buying land. Wait until you come to Ky., and perhaps you could rent a small place near Cynthiana. It seems to me, of all places in the world, that would be one of the most pleasant. I imagine, if I were going to move, I would like to move near Cynthiana or Danville. But my children are so attached to this neighborhood that I expect if I even had the means to live elsewhere they would oppose my going, but you and Fannie are young and only two children, and I think it will be best to select a place where you think you will enjoy yourselves, even if you have to live very economically until you get a start.

Annie has had no chills for a long time. The bark off of the sprouts of the common willow, put in half whiskey and half water, and a teaspoonful taken several times throughout the day, seem to keep them from returning. I will give you a cure which has been used apparently with good effects by some living at Mrs. Curtis': Take an egg, break a small hole in the small end, pour out the white and fill the shell with vinegar. If you try it and cook it, stir while cooking; a knitting needle is convenient to stir with. Dr. Wood told me he saw a recipe similar to this, except that the egg was to be eaten raw after it and the vinegar curdled together. If you try it use one three mornings cooked or raw, whichever way you think you can take it best. Be sure not to use it at or near the time that you are taking any other medicine. There is a kind of patent medicine used here in Ky. said to contain arsenic. It is dangerous to use vinegar with calomel, but I did not know it when I was young.

It has been very warm here for some time, almost like August. It is so dry I hardly know whether wheat ought to be sowed or not. We had good rains about the first time I was at Brooksville and it was seasonable awhile, but it is very dry now. Jane Overbey told me this morning that the news had come to Claysville, that Gus Tyler was very low with consumption; not expected to live. I think there must be some mistake about it. Write soon. I am in Mt. Olivet and have not time to write more. Nothing from Brooksville yet, so I will write to Mr. Fields.

                                                                                                                                       Robertson County, Ky.

Dear Brother,

I took a severe cold about a month ago and I am not entirely clear of it yet. When I was coughing so hard I took to eating a little salt. It relieved me and seemed to help my cold. Several of the family had colds, and also Luke's children. But they are all nearly well now. My eyes have been weak and painful at times. The frames of my best spectacles have become loose. If the roads were not so bad I would like to go, as soon as I feel well enough, and get a new pair. I think it probable that if Fannie would eat a little salt, when the hacking cough comes on, it might relieve her.

Annie, Nat, and Charlie go to school to a Mr. Daily who seems to be a good teacher. The school will soon be out, and he it is said, will then move to Bourbon County.

Jesse Duncan (colored) has lately married. Nels is all the one of Bill's children that has not married. Write to me soon if convenient and let me know how you all are and what luck you have had about building your house. Our schoolhouse is sometimes called Wiggen's Chapel. I want to enclose in this letter a piece which was published in the Mt. Olivet Tribune about the neighborhood. Nat, Charlie, and Fannie have been learning fast.

There was a singing school in the neighborhood a short time ago, Luke, John, Nat and Annie were there a good deal. One of Luke's cows has died lately. Some tobacco got knocked down under the barn shed, and I suppose, the cow either got hurt or eat the tobacco. We are having a great deal of rain lately. Charlie is standing by me and says tell you and Harry to come down here.

I shall endeavor to write a few of my own thoughts on these subjects as they have been drawn from observation, experience, and reflection. In the first place we must be sure that our own conduct is right, taking the Bible as a standard and the common sense which God has given us a guide. We must be on our guard lest by the reading of the many other books our minds become confused. Let us remember that human beings are fallible and not trouble ourselves too much about what others think, but let us give our particular attention to the words which our Savior himself spoke, in his own person, while here on earth, let us frequently read for ourselves, these words as they are recorded in the gospel, endeavor to keep them impressed on our minds, and be guided by them in our every day life and under all circumstances. I think this is one of the best ways to be happy ourselves.

Now as to making others happy, this we may do to some extent every day. One of the first cares should be to guard against unkind and thoughtless expressions. Let the young man remember that when he speaks in harsh tones the words "Dog gone it," "Hush up," "I don't want you to talk to me," and the like, that he pierces with deep sorrow the heart of the mother who has watched over him from infancy and prays for him daily. Let the daughter bear in mind that the mother tries to advise her for her own good, and let her be patient and attentive. Let not the husband thoughtlessly speak harshly to his wife because all her work is not done in regular order. How often does it happen that some duty to her children prevents her from getting her house cleaned up early or some time spent trying to prevent something from going to ruin makes dinner a few minutes later. If the wife is living in a comfortable house, even if it is very humble, let her not impatiently urge her husband to build a new one until every debt is paid, and he has something ahead to provide for sickness and other unexpected emergencies. And let both husband and wife guard against unjust faultfinding and unreasonable requests.

Let all try to be patient toward old people remembering that they were once children. Let everybody be kind to children and not unnecessarily darken the young lives who so much enjoy a smile; who so much fear a frown. And let us be on our guard at all times, lest some harsh word should throw a cloud over the sunshine of happiness which we wish to beam brightly for all. Let us willingly help those who need our help, and give all around us those many little attentions which make life pleasant.

As to getting along in the world, follow some honorable vocation industriously, but not so excessively as to injure health or prevent you from being sociable. A pleasant smile, a few kind words may sometimes scatter clouds of gloom and be gratefully recalled to memory for months.

As to fashion, do not worry about it. If we are fashionable enough to keep us from appearing unpleasantly odd, this is sufficient. Great minds soar too high to bow to the idol of fashion. As to manners, I think the best book to learn good manners from is the New Testament. If we keep in mind the golden rule "Do unto all as you would be done by," we will be very apt to try to give to those with whom we associate all those kindly attentions which we think will make them comfortable and happy, and to avoid that cold stiffness of manners which is so chillingly disagreeable. Oh! how indescribably sweet are manners of those who are free from affectation, and who are very kind whose acts of civility are prompted by pure and kind feelings.