Page Three of Hard Copy

(Lucretia to her brother Goodell)

Montello April 4, 1858

... Julia was made happy by having a birthday yesterday. She inquired very anxiously this morning if she was [still] four today. She seemed to be afraid she had been set back into three again. The boys and all are in sound condition yet. They run and scream and call for victuals pretty much after the fashion of children of old times. Times when they never thought of dyspepsia.

(Lucretia to Goodell and Lottie)

Montello Aug 8, 1858

My correspondents are somewhat slack and it puzzles me to tell what to do with them. To let them alone doesn’t seem to affect them much, and to keep writing doesn’t do me much good and I hardly think it does them. So I alternate between the two courses and don’t know what it amounts to. Perhaps it would take a philosopher to tell what my doings amount to any way. All I know is that I am busy all the long days and do only a part of what I see to do. We have plenty to eat, though little to wear yet. That little seems to fill up all my spare time in taking care of it.

... We are having huckleberries now, and they are quite plenty. I have dried in sugar about twelve quarts. The raspberries came up minus. They say the dry weather dried them up without maturing any. We hope to have a good supply of black and cranberries. Would you like a barrel of cranberries if we do? We can put them on the steamboat here, which you perceive would be very easily done. I don’t know as I have heard how you like them. I have jelly yet in good condition which I like better than currant jelly.

The children are well. Winfield had a birthday last month which did him a great deal of good, especially as Aunt Miranda sent him a book. The boys go to school, sleep upstairs and do a great many things that big boys are in the habit of doing. Julia doesn’t read as much as usual this summer, but she manages to pass the time away in talking to herself, visiting her little neighbors, etc. Write soon.

(Lucretia to Ann)

Montello Dec. 4, 1959

... Day after tomorrow I shall be thirty one. No one will probably think of it. I don’t know why they should. No one will be any better or worse off in consequence, no one any higher or lower, richer or poorer, nor even myself any wiser that I know of.

(Lucretia’s sister Ann to her brother and sister-in-law)

Montello Jan 1, 1861

Happy New Year. There is a little folks picnic at the hotel. We were all invited, but I have a sore throat, and Esther has a slight inflammation in one eye, neither of us dangerous I imagine, but thought it best to stay indoors. Lucretia, the boys, and Julia have gone. We are expecting the family home at any minute.

.... Lucretia and Julia have come. The boys were nowhere near ready; the party they said “ain’t near out.” Lucretia says there were sixty children at the table. Here are the boys come and a more wrathy boy you never did see than Winfield. He says he’s been so mad all the way home he didn’t know what to do and the trouble is they sent home the little boys so that the big ones could dance and he wanted to see the folks dance.

Julia asked me this evening if Grandpa was “a democratic.” Otto says when he gets big enough he shall vote for Lincan.”

(from the last of the letters: Lucretia to Lottie)

Montello, April 28, 1861

... We had our first meal of asparagus this morning. My early peas are coming up, and the currant bushes are budded full. It seems like living well when we can get something from the garden every day, and it seems now as though we should soon. Charley brought home some grape vines and raspberries and English gooseberries which promise to live. I hope they will.

But there is nothing talked of but war and union and American flags here. There are a few, however, who favor the secessionists. Wm. Cogan, one of our townsmen, talked for them in Portage till they arrested him and put him in jail and made him pay two dollars, since which time he has been for the union. The liberty pole has been put up on the highest point of the hill which overlooks the town entirely and some more...

Your mother’s peaches were very acceptable to the children when they were getting over measles. A small bag of peaches goes a great way in Wisconsin.

... You can tell Mother I do know whether I have a pocket* or not if I don’t like greasy biscuit.

Write often, Lucretia

*(I believe this to be a euphemism to announce Lucretia’s pregnancy with her fourth and final child. My grandfather was born Dec. 11th, 1861. Lucretia herself died in January of 1869)

©2009 Julia Sneden for SeniorWomen.com

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