McFarland-Russell Family Papers

how are you getting along now since you have got rid of such a pest Rob. I dont want you and Mag to hurt yourselves drawing water. Kate you must not allow Mag to tease you too much. Kate tell me the truth what were you looking so sad about the morning I left it certainly was not because I was leaving. you were looking very sad about some thing. you must cheer up and quit looking that way. it seemed to me like I was leaving home that morning when I left . Some of the folks were very much surprised When I came home. they thought I had gone of to get married but I fooled them that time . I will get some of the Girls to write off those songs I promised you I will send then up next mail. The name of that plant I was telling you about is [Tania?] it come from Mrs. [Grimes?] I told her the first chance she got to send you some of it and she said she would do so with the greatest of pleasure. how is Ma is she improving any tell her that Ma says she must be sure and come just as soon as she gets able to travel. tell her that she thinks she will get well right a way you must keep teasing her til she does come. tell her if there is any thing in Orange that she wants, to let me know and I will get it for her. we would be very glad to have her come and stay a month or two with us if she would just make up her mind to leave home. Kate I believe it is more trouble than anything else that is the matter with her. Pa did not have quite Irons enough in the fire he has sent for a Shingle Machine he thinks he will have it up and running in five or six weeks. as the old saying is the more a body has the more they want and I think that is the way with him. well if he succeeds he will make a great deal of money. for there is more money in Shingle Machines than there is in anything else in this county. well Kate this is a great letter but I cant help it I am bound to fill up with something I cant bare[sic] to see short letters you bet I miss the fruit cant you send me some peaches do please. The Evening after I got home I went down and brought Miss Fannie up to Aunt Laura and we had some music her and I were the musicians she played on the accordion while I [fanned?] her and Me and [illegible] danced

Kate I tell you [Bec?] & Fannie play it old. he [way lays?] the road he met me that eveing when I was going in to Mrs Smiths and asked me where I was going I says I am going there but did not tell him that Miss Fannie and I were going any where and when her and I started here come Bec puffing like he was out of breath and we asked him what was the matter and he said that a Cow got after him and run him up that way we then told him to come along with us and we would keep the Cows off of him. he was all right then I tell you the old woman would give me fits if she knew it. you bet we man -age to keep it a secret. I also saw Miss [Zennie?] & Miss Rebecca. I think [Gwen?] and Beck are going to give us a wedding this week. tell Mag that Walter wont be home before September tell her she must not cry about it. if she cries tell her who said you wouldnt. well Kate I think I have written quite enough nonsense for one time. I could fill up this sheet but enough is enough of anything. Kate you must not get mad at my rough jokes. allow me to speak freely and you may do the same. Kindest regards to all tell Ma to be sure and come Good by[sic] write soon to your true Friend Robert E. Russell

Bleakwood Newton Co. Texas April 18th 1871

Mr Robert C Russell

Estimed Friend

To-day is gloomy and raining the wind is blowing very hard from the west the changing elements are taking a regular blow out; as the rain falls I will prepar myself to answer your welcome letter, but how to inlist you will be a mystery to me so I will have to say a few common remarks and sign my signature; I did not think you would miss my letters so I would see if you would look for any, I expect you have half a dozen other correspondent you would as soon read letters from as from I, do you make pipe lighters of mine Mr Russell; it is not altogether my fault for the mailsides[?] will not come by if the creekis the least bit raised if you do not get answers to your letters soon as you expect do not think hard unless it is an unusual delay.

Mag has brought me a cup of coffee, I think she has an idea she will read over my shoulder while I drink.

Mr Russell I must correct that mistake I made in my last letter it was not Miss Fa___ that Mr H Sudduth

was going marry; Mrs R Wingate told me Mr H Sudduth was going to marry Miss Lydia Cochran, it is wispered of Miss F to Mr S Wright;

Mr Russell you naughty boy, so selfish to think I would call you Rob, I do not see how I am to keep from calling you so in my letters but when you come up if you persist calling Miss McFarland then I will try and call you as you wish to be;

There was a young man gave me some photographs and with them he also gave me Miss Maud Hopkin's I think he had two; tell her I think she has the sweetest smile Maud knows to whom she gave her picture do not tease her,

I am as ignorant of Mr Walter Wingate's Lady love as you are Mr Russell, I am very sorry to think that my letters are held in that light to get information for some one else.

Sister Lizzie and Miss Pic Kyle[?] was down Sunday; Miss Pic thinks your picture is so handsome; I could hardly keep her from liking it, I must go and get supper then I will finish my letter;

I have come back to my writing, to have to write by candle light does not do very well; Ma says she is better this morning, I made for the cough Syrup you recom

mmended I hope it will ease her cough; Ma is very thankful to you for the kindness you have done for her. Mr Russell, it is a long time until peaches get ripe though nonetheless I shall look for you then. My candle is about to give out, I cannot write longer the clock strikes ten, do not let my short letter prevent you from writing long ones. Please excuse mistakes.

Goodnight Mr Russell, I remain your true friend,

Kate C. McFarland

Mary Mrs A Mary C Fleig's mother

Orange Orange Co Texas June 25th 1871

Miss. Kate McFarland Esteemed Friend

Your most kind and welcome letter of the 1st came to hand after a delay of some twenty three or four days. Had I not have known the Creeks were up so the mail could not come by your house. I would give you a little Scolding for your seeming neglect. but I will just drop that as I have found out it was not your fault. I think we had better release each other from that Bargain. it would not be fair for you to wait three week before you answer this. you must remember you have not told me all of the [late?] news. your letter has been written very near a month. so you must answer this the first oportunity. [sic] Well Kate I will commence to write now but I cant say that I will write you a very interesting letter is has been so long since I have had one to write. so I guess it will be quite a difficult task to find something to write about although I will do my best towards it and that is all that I can do. our thespian [Club?] have met with the most perfect success. They performed two nights for the whites and one for the blacks and they took in about one hundred and seventy five or eighty dollars. admittance twenty five & fifty cents. which I think is little enough. I think they did very well for the first time. any one of the pieces they played was well worth what they paid to the fee the [?] we also have a Soda Fount. and that is another great treat to the Orangeites. I tell you Orange is coming out of the [?] . it is improving rapidly. and there is a great many strangers moving in all. the while. did the late storm injure you much up in that section. the wind blew a perfect gale here but it was about one hundred feet above the earth so it did not damage us much. I tell you Kate I began to think it was going to be another one such as that September Gale of sixty five. [Sabince?] Pass was overflowed so that some of the houses washed off of the Blocks and the all [?] washed away. all of the citizens left town and went out to what is called the back ridge. and there is no end to the damages done at sea. but all that owned vessels in Orange seemed ot be in luck not one of them

sustained any damage. Brother was on one of ours down west at the time. the Boat was blown high and dry on the Beach but was not damaged any. Tom has got tire of home and gone off to [Telegraphing?] again has an office at Victoria now I guess he will stay there this summer and the Lord only knows where he will go to from there. he is not like any of the rest of us he is of a roving disposition. look here Kate you must Cheer up and not be giving up to disappointment that will never do. I want you to give me a good long letter in return for this one. I was disappointed myself but I did not let it bother me. I was all ready to start up to [herndon?] three weeks ago and I found out the Creeks were all up and likely to stay so for some time and I know it would not be any pleasure to me if I had all of the Creeks to swim so I thought I would [?] it of until the water went down. the River is higher right now than it has been in two years. you may look for me up that way as soon as the water falls. have you had any more weddings up with you latily[sic] come now you must tell me all the news. you know you have got to give me a good long letter in return for this. I think Capt. [Mone?] and Miss Merriman will give us a wedding before a great while I think it is high time for them to marry they have been courting long enough. you wanted to know the price of that Hydrate of Chloral you just never mind that I have paid for that long ago. How is your Mas[sic] health now. Kate I would watch for the mail every Saturday dont think because the Creeks were up I quit going to the office. all I have to do is to go there I dont have to ask if there is a letter for me I get it without asking. I have not forgotten that Picture yet. I think you have treated me right mean about it you ought to have sent it to me long ago you will have to let me have it if you dont I will worry the life out of you. well Kate I believe I have written all that I can think of at present and I think it is quite enough any way there is as much on one page of mine as there is on all four of yours and I will leave that for you to deside[sic] and it will be in my favor well enough is enough dont you say so too remember me to all the Family. write soon Farewell for the present as ever your most Sincere Friend R.E.R.

PS excuse all errors

Chopin LA Apr 5, 1891

R. E. Russell

Dear Brother

Yours of the 1st to hand and in reply would say have all of the Green shingles moved up first then if you can get the others up move them too. don't ask Miller?] for any more money if you have any money of your own use it and let me know how much you use and I will send you a Draft for the amount. We will get started up about the 15th it has been rather slow work getting in logs

caused from a tickling in the throat well I was in the same fix as you are, if you remember, when Dr Ford perscribed for me and cured me. he said it was General Debility. If you would write to him and give him your symptoms he would send you a prescriptive that would build you right up. he lives in Nachogdoches you can tell me how to speel that when I go to see you.

I intend visiting you as soon as I can get my eye sight sufficient to sew.

Kate I do not like