Letter 18880411

Written to a Crown, Iowa address and then forwarded to Osceola, Iowa.

Easter Sunday Eve. April 11, 1888
Mr. E. and F. O. Delk

Dear Cousins, I have received your obliging and considerate communication and beg you to accept of my warmest thanks for the same. I made various attempts to answer your letter previous to this but was constantly prevented by some obstacle which came in the way, hoping you will excuse me for the present, and I trust in the future to have better success. I have not been blessed with as much leisure as some people. For a couple month I have been very busy and have had so much company, and I’ve had a protracted meeting for the last two weeks, broke up Friday eve, had a splendid meeting with good success and a big interest, but very disagreeable weather. We had the coldest weather week before last that we have had this winter, But has changed wonderful, to day is perfectly lovely, so nice and warm, have been sitting without fire all day, hope it will remain so, for I am so tired of cold weather. I observed in your letters that you was having very disagreeable weather in your country. But I presume you are having nice weather by this time. I thought by the your father talked that you never had bad weather in Iowa. Uncle gave Iowa quite a puff, I told him that I thought he and his sons didn’t give the same story. Well Ell you was having such a bad cold and felling tuff, when you wrote me, hope you are all better by this time. But I don’t wonder at you feeling bad if you run around so much, and playing the violin all night for a ball, I think that you must be an awful fellow, but I suppose you have quit all that by this time, I heard you were to be married this spring, I think you might have invited your cousin, Altha. Perhaps I would have come, I am really surprised that you are taking yourself a wife, but if it had been Nan it wouldn’t hve surprised me half so much. I thought of course that he and the Housier (sp) girl would make a match. You asked if I saw her, I did not. I am very sorry to say it but I did not enjoy my visit to Indiana. I was never so homesick in my life. You want me to come home with your father but that is uterelly impossible, I could not leave Pittsburgh. But, however, I would like ever so much  to pay you a visit. 3 of my bros and my self are living to gether, and of course I couldn’t leave them.

Well boys have you had any leap year calls yet. My bro has had several but I have not started out yets nor I don’t think I will very soon for it makes me very weak, it looks very green to me. I went to see a fellow last leap year, but then I was young yet, but had lots of fun, and I never saw the fellow was the worst part for me. Well if the fellows can’t come to see me they can stay away. I never had as much brass as some girls around the fellows anyway. I am all ways a little timid for I don’t want a fellow to think that I am dead gone on him when I am not, and if I am they won’t find it out by my actions. They all say I am to particular but I don’t think so. I don’t think a person can be to particular, do you. I am not bashful but when I am around strangers I haven’t very much to say. But when I am with my friends that I know I am as lively as any of them, but I hate to hear a lady so boisterous, I don’t think it very becoming. Well I suppose you boys are out seeing your girls to night. Charles and James out with their girls (they are my bro) and I am here all a lone and I feel very lonely. Bro Carl is in bed, and there is where I ought to be. Well I wouldn’t give a pinch of snuff for a fellow, I mean to have him call every Sunday eve. Of course I think it is very nice to go out riding and spending your time in that way, but honestly I think it is the greenest thing in the world to be sparking as they call it, and sitting up all night. Well if a fellow would go to stay with me all night at 12 oclock I would give him his hat and say good night. Wouldn’t that be right. My fellow lives in Mitchell, Dakota and we do all our sparking by letter and I enjoy that very much. But I never saw him, only his picture and he is a very fine looking chap. I have almost fell in love with his appearance. Yesterday I got a paper he sent me telling all about their town and country.. It must be a delightful place the way the paper says.

Well I am very tired and sleepy and will quit for (?) night.

Well boys I hope  it would you have my letter before this but here it is yet. I commenced writing it Easter Sunday and was disturbed and that is the way it has been ever since so I will date it the 11th in place of the 1st for I don’t feel like writing very much any more as I have written letter this afternoon. And that was to my fellow I was telling you about in this letter. Of course it wouldn’t do to let his letter go unanswered. We are just having delightful weather now, I can scarcely stay in the house. But the way I am feeling now I will have to stay in a while. I ges I am taking the measles cause they are just thick all over the country and I was exposed to them. I can scarcely hold my (?). My arms ache since Sat. and the Dr. says that I am taking them. Your father is on his way home by this time. Uncle George wrote me to go with them and I never recognized his letter. But I told them so often that I could not go. Well you said I should send my photo, well it is on the road, 3 0r 4 of them. I presume for uncle was bound to have one for his boys. But they are horrid things that I am ashamed of them, for I haven’t the remotest idea that you will claim me for any relation. Of course it is hard work to get a pretty picture of an ugly person. Uncle said that he was going to show them to the hawk eyes boys. But I am sure that none of them will fall in love with them. But you can see that they are awful poor finish and I don’t think they look very much like me. Now I want you boys to send me your photos. I am going to get some more taken in couple weeks, and if they aren’t any better then I will quit. Don’t forget to send your photos, for I am anxious to see what for cousins I have got in the west. I received a paper from you country. I presume some of you sent it. Many thanks for it.

Well I suppose you are tired of reading this trash long ago, but I am all most an endless writer, but I don’t amount to very much, so I will close. Hoping to hear from you soon.

Your cousin,
Altha Delk