Lincoln, Neb.,
Dec. 26. 1897.
Law. — I didn't intend to write another letter until I had a letter head of the Board's but Marcia and the children stayed to Valparaiso yesterday and will not be home until tomorrow and I thought it would be too bad for you to miss your letter so I for these reasons will send you the letter head later. It is vacation week and I expect to have a complete rest. All I have to do is to oversee cleaning the school-house (for he does not clean to suit me) to attend the State Association, to help

canvas this part of town for the church to see who do not attend & who will come out to church, to make out the children's monthly school reports, to attend the church meetings Thursday & Friday evenings. Thursday is the annual meeting for roll call and Friday evening is the long delayed meeting commensurating [sic] the 10th anniversary and the lifting of the debt. Then besides these I have a little necessary repairing of clothes and some planning for my school work ahead of me, and to get as many of the school children to go to the art exhibit as possible so we

can get the prize offered for the largest percent of attendance, or at least make a respectable showing. Then I want to plan for a reception to the patrons for the first week of school so as to clear up the bad impressions of the sanitary conditions there — we will have the best in the city when it is finished which we hope will be the first week of school. So you see I am going to have a real good rest. There may some few things come up that I have not looked for, to do.

Marcia went into a saloon last week when she was looking for a repair

Rosebud Agency, S. Dak.,
Dec. 29, '97
Dear Lawrence:
I have been wanting to write to you for a long time, but of course put it off from time to time. You may not be there any more when this reaches you, but it will be more pleasant to be on the way home than to receive this letter. Do not know whether I have addressed this letter properly but it is the only address I know.

Georgia and Florence came home for the holidays, they have about a week here yet and then will return to school. We all spent a delightful Christmas and the

weather was beautiful. We have been having strange weather anyway this winter, around Thanksgiving it was cold and very stormy, we also had fine sleighing for about a week several weeks ago. Doctor sent for a cutter and then the snow began to melt and when the cutter came there was none at all, and there has been none since.

Rosy is sitting on my lap while I'm writing this letter, she usually has a family of kittens to care for but just now she is out and acts quite kittenish herself. Whenever I speak of Rosy I think of Polly, our parrot, it is a very nice bird and is a very good imitator. She

has not been so lively this fall as it was the moulting [sic] season.

Doctor put up a new telephone in the house today, the old one did not work. 

This evening we are going to Dr McChesney's, the Agent's to a little card party, it is to be quite a "swell" affair and we are all going to wear our best. Mrs. McChesney is quite a society woman and doesn't associate with many people up here, so we feel quite honored at receiving the invitation.

Tomorrow we are all invited to a luncheon given by Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Bredesow, the wives of two of the government employees. Saturday, at

two o'clock P.M. we are invited to St Francis, the Catholic mission school about seven miles from here. They will have some sort of a program given by their children and I suppose a dinner, they always do give us something to eat and drink (wine).

We all received a great many nice and useful Christmas presents. One of my presents was an otter jacket from Doctor, this is a very useful present in this part of the country as we drive quite a good deal. We had a tree for Nellie, she got an express wagon, dolls without number and I don't know what all, she was fairly wild Christmas morning.

We have been learning

to play whist this winter, I like it real well.

I have such pretty hyacinths and Chinese lilies in bloom.
Received a letter from Edgar and Hudson today, telling about Christmas. I sent them a box of canned goods and eatables of different kinds. The folks at home sent them a box of sausage, turkeys, candy, nuts, cake, mittens, etc. Our family never was so scattered before at Christmas as this year.

Amy has gone to Lincoln to attend the State Teacher's Association.

Doctor's rheumatism is not improving, it worries me. He has tried almost everything, is trying something now, if that

does no good will go to the West Springs, S. Dak. again. He was there last summer and it helped him he thought.

Last Thursday we were all invited to a dinner given by the Catholic Indians and halfbreeds, we were taken to and from the place in carriages. The room was nicely decorated with flags and evergreens and in one corner there was a nice, large Christmas tree. There were two large tables loaded with eatables — cold turkey, chicken, pork, cranberries, canned peaches, bread and butter, pickles, pie, cake, coffee, tea, etc. There were presents given to some of the white people. All the food was prepared by them themselves and was very

good. The next day we were invited by the Episcopal Indians and halfbreeds and at the appointed time there were two carriages at the door to take us. We had oyster soup, chicken, pies, cake, jelly tarts, candy, nuts, apples, etc. etc. At our table we even had napkins, silver knives, forks and spoons. There is always a table for the white people, one for the halfbreeds and one for the Indians.

It is almost supper time and my news is almost exhausted anyhow.

Mr. and Mrs. Parmslee are going to Sioux City when Georgia and Florence go, so they will have company part way.

We have quite a large family now, eight. Mr. and Mrs. Parmslee, Georgia, Florence, Nellie, Doctor, Miss Rhodes and myself.

Goodbye for this time. Your sister,
Ella