Letter 18880314

Troy, Ohio March 14, 1888
Mr. Elmer E. Delk, Crown, Iowa

Dear cousin; Your letter written the 24 reached me one week ago today and also a picture which I recognize as a dude of a cousin. I just think you are too handsome to show to any one so I just put in my album and I’ll take a peek every once in a while.I just want to see you every hour and every day and I want to see you ever so bad. Are you going to California again? Have you a wash out there? Has Nan a girl or has he concluded to batch it out?

                        Saturday evening

As usual my letter is in chapters. We are having cold weather at present. There is snow on the ground several inches deep and the wind blows cold. My health is tolerable good and the relation as far as I know are well. Emma fell yesterday and hurt herself some but I don’t know how bad.

Does Kate and Ida Worden go to dances and are either of them to be married soon. I have not heard from them for ever so long and I think they might write to me. What is your girl’s name (or their names). I want to hear so I can judge if they are handsome or not. You ought to be ashamed to break so many hearts. Poor girls! I pity them don’t you?

I gave Walter your letter for he was by when I opened mine so I did not get to read it to him. He has the western fever too and pretty bad I guess and I don’t blame him for I have a touch of it too. I think Illinois is the place for me. I think if I live until fall I will go there to live for I like the country and the people too. Well I don’t know of any thing more to write so I bleive I will close for today.

Write soon to your cousin and your sweetest one too.

M. L. Cruikshank