Lincoln. Dec. 5 - '97.
Dear Lawrence,
This last week has been full of events. It has been a very stormy week, almost a blizzard Thursday and Friday. The snow is melting some today, but it has been two feet on the level.
Mrs. Summers stayed over till Tuesday afternoon, and Daisy Dewell came yesterday. She is going back tomorrow. She came on a pass.

Mrs. Frankish is here yet. Nannie is boarding with a friend down town. I was nearly played out before she left. There were so many here

and my girl was new so I had to do most of the cooking, and I left Grace to look after baby, but there was Mrs. F. — Nannie, and Mrs. Summers all extra from Thursday till the next Tuesday noon. I felt as if I would like to go to some wilderness or Argentina ever to live. Having so many to dinner Thanksgiving day would have been enough to use some women up. Seba said it made her so tired to come home she could not sleep nights. Mrs. Frankish has been having such a hard time where she was staying, after telling me of the indignities she had to submit to I could not help but ask her to stay here. It makes a good many to feed but I suppose we will have our reward sometime. She helps me some with my sewing. (This is one part of the week.). Wednesday morning the Journal have an account of Mr. Moore's conviction. I will send you the paper.

It is one of the saddest things I ever knew of. Everyone in Lincoln feel very sorry for them. It was a very cold stormy day, but I went down there as soon as I could, and found Mr. Moore at home. The marshall [sic] had just brough him to stay two house. He told me that in the sight of God he is innocent but has to suffer for others. They are real poor now too. He said he could not explain it, but that he had been hunted down by the men who have the money.

I went to see Mrs. M. again yesterday, and she talked quite freely. She says she can hardly keep from making an exposure of the whole thing. Mr. M's lawyer seems to be opposed to having him make a confession as he wants to do, and seems to make things complicated. 

Mrs M. said that he never intended to plead guilty, but a pressure was brought to bear on him suddenly after he had left home one morning and just before his suit came off last summer. His lawyer pressed him to do so. Since then everything has gone against him. Some of the best lawyers in the state have offered their service free to him this last week and he has accepted other legal help. Most people seem to feel as if he was a martyr now instead of a thief.

Friday the Monthly Missionary Society was to have met here, but it stormed so that it was post-poned till next Friday. 
I had to go to town yesterday to pay some bills and have had cramps today to pay for it. I let Psyche and Helen select their dolls for Christmas too. We bought one for Alice and I am

going to teach the girls to make the clothes for it.
The bills are all paid now as far as need be except a little I may owe Plymouth Church yet. I do not intend to pledge $1.75 a week for next year. There are so many there, and so many new ones coming in all the time that it is not our duty to take so much of the burden. Six new munchers united with the church to-day. Last Thursday evening the church held election of officers. I will send you a Plymouth Note so you can see who was elected. You was elected as Trustee. Seba and I went although it was stormy. We had lots of fun. Sat next to Mr. Lane with Mr. DeVore and Green in front and Harry Bethrum and Allie Cook on the other side. I am afraid we were very undignified, but I had had

such a hard week of work it was a great relief to let myself loose. 

The Faculty Club will meet Wednesday with Mrs. Gere. I want to go.

If you send me more money right away I intend to send the most of it to Ella Westfall, and borrow of Seba for a few months. The last $400 you sent has been spent pretty closely. 
So many here and winter coming on we had to have so many clothes. I do not think it is going to cost so much the rest of the winter. I am thinking of getting a piano after the 1st of Jan and pay for it on monthly installments for the first 12 m. then we may be able to pay for it entirely. Psyche has not missed a day of school and gets very high standings in all her studies. She is growing so fast now too, and seems better natured

than she has been for a long time. Helen does not go to school if it is real stormy but she is learning so much too. Her hair is growing so long this winter. She is still a good deal of a baby but is as cute about it as ever, but baby Alice takes the cake. She makes us all stand around. She is a big, fab girl now, is on the move all day long, and climbs everything. She objects to anything like order. Clears off any and every table, chair, or anything else that happens to have anything on it, and she has to work so fast in order to get something done before someone interferes with her. She is very hard on books and the walls. She would be hard on the cat but he defends himself. She understands everything

that is said to her, and seems to remember you perfectly.

Mr. Woodward the Janitor of Prescott building got up a petition about a side walk on Cherry St. and the teachers all signed it. Then he took it to the City Council and it was published just as he wrote it in the News. The teachers are having a good deal of fun poked at them for signing something they did not read over. Seba said she noticed the spelling but did not like to hurt his feelings by mentioning it. I will enclose clippings of it. I have only gotten up six times since I commenced this and baby wants her "bobble" now so I will close, with love,
Marcia Bruner

Lincoln. Dec. 12 - '97.
Dear Lawrence,
An unusual thing occurred last week. I received a letter Monday from you, and one again yesterday (Saturday) I hardly know how to behave with them coming so thick and fast. Well, Christmas will soon be here. I am trying to make it as pleasant and happy as I can for the girls, and I think they do feel very happy over the prospects, but my heart fails me when I think of you so far away and of the journeys you expect to

make through that country and the long journey before you in order to reach home. There are so many dangers on every hand. Hope you have received your book from me for Christmas by this time and have enjoyed it.

You speak of me not putting enough postage on my letter that had the clippings in it. I am afraid it has happened again more than once. Our mail carrier assured me that there was enough postage on it. You had better deposit some money with the American Minister for use in paying your letters. Suppose you get the Sunday Journal by this time.

I have recieved [sic] all the money you have sent so far, but alas, it vanishes like thin air. I have tried 

to use it wisely, but some way it has not always gone as far as I had hoped it would. I believe I told you how all but the last $400 was used. Well, that has gone for groceries — 2 months — clothes (winter) church subscription $10 — Phoneta $50.00 Insurance $52.89 — The groceries have amounted to $50 for the two months. Dr. Ward in Troy $34.10. The Outlook. 3.00 Then I had the drawing room papered $5 and Mr Crooks worked around $6 worth. It has all been used for necessary things but I have not paid Ella H. anything out of it as I hoped to do. I intent to pay her $200 out of the next $400 you send. It is chilly, damp weather and snowing some. Psyche had sore throat three

days last week. I kept her out of school and doctored her up and she is all right again. We did not have a doctor for her, but baby was taken sick with vomiting, etc. and I could not hit the right thing to give her so sent for doctor R. — He was interested in you and read several of your letters. He stayed quite a little while because baby was sick while he was here. She had a chill and fever. She is all right again.
The Missionary Soc. finally met with me. It was a muddy day, but as usual when they meet here, there was a large attendence [sic]. Served bullion (beef tea) and cheese wafers, everyone enjoyed them selves. We had a very pleasant little visit from Daisy D. She went back Monday morning. Ida came Thursday

she is having a dress made here in Lincoln, and will be here for a few days longer. Mr. King is coming after her. I am trying to get presents all around this year. I am making a sofa pillow for grandpa Bruner. He enjoys laying around after dinner, a set of very pretty individual salt cellars for grandma, handkerchifs [sic] for the boys, laundry bags for Amy & Lillie M. The New England Nun for Lillie B. a case for Ida's silks, a book mark for Kenelm, a lavander [sic] bag for Ella. — For Hattie Seba and I got her some napkins, Grace S. a necktie. Ruth a book, etc. etc.
Psyche and Helen want dolls, so I have them. I have not got anything for Seba yet, — We will all go to Valperaiso Christmas.

Mrs. Frankish is here yet. She talks every day of going but says it is hard to make up her mind to go back there.

I am always glad to get anything about you from the newspapers down there. I shall let Chancellor MacLee these and he can do as he thinks best about having them published. I am so glad you are successful in your mission there, and hope the pests will be entirely exterminated.

I have a very good natured young Bohemian girl. She does the washing, most of the ironing, tends the furnace, and gets breakfast. She is learning to cook. I pay her $2.00 a week. We have had so many extra around ever since she came it is hard to teach her. 

I sent you an account of Mr. Moore's trial and sentence. He is out on bail now, and hopes to be let out entirely by the Supreme Court. I have seen him several times and he does not seem like the same man. Mrs. Gehrung is spending what little money she made in her trade and has nothing to look forward to. She is a very prim manager. She and Nellie do not seem to think they can get along with less luxuries than they used to have. The Christian Scientists have bought the First Christian Church and the First Christians are talking of buying the First Lutheran Church. The Lutherans seem to be scattering around to other churches. Mr. Gregory has an evangelist in his church now, trying to bring

harmony around that way, but his church is in such a woeful condition. I am afraid nothing but his resignation will settle matters now. 

Grace Gobson will be married the 22nd of this month to a Mr. Duffey. The ceremony to be performed in Plymouth Church. We are all invited.

There is so much going on between now and Christmas that it will keep me busy if I go to half.

Prof's Caldwell Forster & Woft seem to take their turns in preaching in the Universalist Church Sundays. Am glad you are learning to be sensible about you eating. How nice it will be to have you eat onions with me. I do not see why you have nothing to say about you receiving your degree

here last spring. You surely deserved it. The Chancellor had a reception to the Alumna of the Uni last night.
Prof. Barbour was out to Plymouth Church this morning. He asked about you.

Hope you will enjoy the rest of your day there and make it profitable as well as enjoyable. You do not give any depurate time of starting. 

I must go and cut out from the weeks Journals for you now. Hope I will get stamps enough on hereafter. If you remained a few years longer I might learn just how to stamp my letters.

Psyche, Helen and baby are all well
Yours, Marcia

Lincoln, Nebraska,
December 12, 1897
Dear Papa,-
I thought I would write a letter to you and tell you about Alice and the different people and things at home. This afternoon baby has been playing with us girls. Friday mamma had the Missionary Society and baby staid in the kitchen and when I came home I was going to catch her when she ran into a corner, and said "No fare, you can't catch me." It's snowing to night, and when I went to feed the chickens they had gone to bed and wouldn't come to eat. Somebody shot Frido in one of his front legs.

I am dressing a doll for baby Christmas, and mamma cuts them out and I sew them together. Last Sunday the snow was so deep it came up over my knees. We had a Geography test one Fri. and I got 100. Our teacher puts all the schoolars [sic] names on the board and then when they are bad she puts a straight mark after them; I haven't got any. I guess this is all, so,
Good-bye,
Psyche Bruner.
P.S. Mrs. Frankish made a pair of bedroom slippers and mamma bought them for us girls to give to Aunt Seba Christmas.
P.B.

Lincoln. Dec. 17 - 97.
Dear Lawrence,
Today is Friday, but I thought I would commence my letter tonight to you and not wait this time until Sunday. It has seemed as if I am busier than ever on Sunday lately and cannot think of anything to write about while at other times I can think of so much to say to you.

We can run the furnace now all right, keep the temperature from 140 to 160 all the time and the house is comfortable with one or two exceptions, when it stormed so badly it was cold any place.

Since winter commenced we have had a great deal of it, one snow storm after another. The snow is piled up all around us over 1 1/2 ft and drifts in our back yard. My girl is good to keep the walks swept off. I took two of your last letters and the clippings you sent to the Chancellor there was nothing in them that you would not want him to read. He was very glad to get them and is going to have extracts published from them. So many are asking me all the time if you are successful in your mission down there. I always answer that you are, for it seems to me from your letters you are accomplishing a great deal. Here is something that was in today's Journal. Mr. Tremain says that a good many of the Argentina papers ignore your being there. 

I asked him if they knew you were there. He did not know. The time goes so fast and yet it seems a long time until the 1st of April. I hope you can go by way of South Africa and see lots of new country.

You spoke of the Baker's here — a son to the Consul Baker who died in Buenos Aires. He has not been appointed yet in his father's place but hopes to be. I have not been to see them, but think I shall go soon. I do not believe you recieve [sic] all my letters. I write one every seek. Sending it Monday, and have sometimes written two a week. Hope you get part of them. I have been sending more clippings, putting only 5 cents on the letters. It may be that they did not get through because there was not enough postage on them

Our Sorosis Jr. met today with Mrs. Ward. She had a dilightful [sic] program of music. She took for her topic Hungarian music and had a short discription [sic] of the Jew composers and Prof. Haganian was there with his fiddle to play for us.

Seba says she will write to you as soon as she gets the paper with the Principals letterheads on it. Mrs. Frankish went back to the Pettes' Tuesday. She had to have money and said that was the only way to get it from him, to go there and worry it out of him. He has a lot of her money. She asked me if she could come back if she wanted to.

Mrs Selleck went to the Sanatarium [sic] in Battle Creek over two months ago and sent word after she had been there two months

for Mr. S. to come after her. He went but cannot get her to return home. The doctors there say there is nothing the matter with her, but she stays in bed and refuses to come home. He has been with her there over two weeks. It is dreadfully expensive and they have lost so much the last few years. People feel so sorry for him. She went for a rest in the first place. The Warner Family have moved to Lincoln. The folks of Dr. Warner who used to be in the State Uni. they live in the cottage next to the one we used to live in. Mr. Ceder has built a cottage on Sycamore Dr. and moved out here.

I paid Mr. Hunter the money to send to Germany for those books on

Orthoptera I think. They claim they never received the first money. It was $5 and a little over, but he has the receipt for it and thinks the express Co. will be the looser. They sent a [?] on a postal card for the whole amount again, and so I paid the remaining $5.25 Would have paid it sooner if he had asked me.

Am afraid he has been too zealous about getting that $40 from Prof. Lugger. I think he said he had written three in my name times before he recieved [sic] an answer, and when it came he said he had paid $10 but had not got all the specimens, and would like to have them. Mr. H. is coming out to see if you left them here and will send them if you did. I told him not to bother about asking for the money again

as I though I could get along without it.

I hope you will not think I am extravagant when I tell you the last $400 you send is nearly gone. It seems as if I have only bough such things as we needed and we do not have as much on the table as we usually do, but I console myself by remembering that you were nearly always hard up when you were here. Of course about $200 of that money went on notes, interest, church subscriptions and the like, with groceries and clothes following, I intend to send $200 to Ella Westfall of the next lot you send and see if I cannot manage on the rest for awhile. Will have to buy hard coal in two or three weeks again, bought a ton of soft last week.

and the groceries, besides a few little bills (not many) is all I have to use it for, unless there is an insurance coming in Feb. I will look it up to be sure.

Sunday Dec. 19
Mr. Hunter came up last night to find the orthopetra you had picked out for Mr. Lugger. He is writing something about there and wants what you promised him. He wrote last week that he could pay $10 on them. I thought you had sent them all to him. Mr. H. had no difficulty in finding them.

I see in this mornings Journal there was a wreck in Iowa and J.S. Dewell was one of the injured. It says no one was seriously injured. You will find it if you get the Journal. It is snowing again today. The sun has not shone

for a week or more. It is very cold some of the time.

I will have to tell you some about the children. Psyche behaves herself most of the time. She is stubborn once in awhile and I have to go for her.

She has seemed a little nervous again lately and is real hard to get along with when she is that way. Helen is learning to take care of herself better this year. I pay her 5 cents a week for dressing herself. She lapses into her baby ways of talking sometimes. Last night she said "Some one has broken my apple and aten [sic] it." Just think she will be seven years old soon. She can still wind her aunt Seba around.

Baby Alice is nearly always in mischeif [sic]. We have to keep your room closed all the time or she throws all the books on the floor from the book case or gets into the ink which is worse. Then

the dining room has to be closed or she climbs on the table or sideboard and mixes salt, vinegar, sugar, or whatever she can find together. We can not lean a thing on the tables in the sitting room as she clears it off just as often as there is anything on it, and when I am sewing and have to use my shears I have to sit on them as her special delight is to get ma-ma's "ouchies," and she has learned to cut with them too. She will not have the small, blunt end ones either, throws them as far as she can. She gets hurt a great many times because she ventures so much and is so quick in all she does.

This week is going to be a busy week. I have a box ready to send to W. P. by Lillie M. have something for them all. 
Mr. Simms has been sent to the

Norfolk Insurance Asylum I believe. They said he stood on the streets and looked so forlorn, and begged from door to door for something to eat, did not go home anymore. It will not be long before you can tell me definitely about your plans I hope. You will be starting for home in a month or so after getting this letter I hope. The time seems long, and the children need you at home. There is good sleighing now.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year—Let me know if you have recieved [sic] my Christmas present.
Marcia Bruner.

I saved the Presidents Message and was going to send it to you but it has been lost.

Dec. 19, 1897.
Dear Papa,
It is snowing very hard here and we have to wade.
It must be funny to have summer on Christmas. We are going to send a box

every day.
We have vacation next week. o o o o o o o
from Helen.

to West Point. Have you got our pictures yet? The Taylor children are going to Creston for Xmas.

Baby can say most every thing that I can. She tells Ma-ma every morning that baby wants to go and see Seba awful bad.

Baby says I'll give them back in a minute and pretty soon. I have been to Sunday School 9 times and absent 5 times since October. Baby has two braids now by her face.

The chickens hardly ever come out of the farm it is so cold. I go to school most

Lincoln. Dec. 24- '97.
Dear Lawrence,
I will scratch you a few lines tonight for fear I will not have an opportunity Sunday. I am so tired tonight I can hardly see straight. Have had to keep the childrens excitement under somewhat and look after everything this week in regard to Christmas.

It has been dreadfully cold and snowy with an occasional thaw. I sent a box of things to W. P. had something in for all of them, and wrote a letter to Edgar & Hudson sending them a handkerchief a piece.

We received a box of things for the childrens from West Point and a bucket of lard for one today. I let them help open it and they did enjoy it. A doll for baby, & books and perfume and cookies for all three. Baby has always cried for the girls' dolls and she is so happy with one of her own. We got her one here too. Psyche dressed it clear through and its clothes are made very nice. I let the girls have money this year to do their own shopping, they have been very impertant [sic] about it and of course have had ever so many presents. They bought me a large majolica pot to stand the palm in. Seba gave me a cut glass vinegar bottle, and Ella De Bell a nice handkerchief. I bought a doll for each Psyche & Helen too. They wanted dolls more than

anything else, and Seba & I together got Psyche a little stove, it is like a larger range. She has wanted one for some time. It was $2.50. We also got a doll carriage for Helen, it was $2.50. She wanted that very much. I had the green stove set for Seba costing $3.00. You see I blew in some money this Christmas. It does not seem like Christmas to me though with so many miles of water between us, but I think the girls forget about you most of the time, and am glad they do.

We all go to Valperaiso —

Here I was suddenly interrupted and we have been to Val—

and returned again.

We went Christmas morning and just came back this (Monday) morning. Everyone was well up there.

The children are enjoying themselves with their playthings and books. I am too rattled to think of much to write today. The Hayden Art Club have an exhibits in the Library building of the Uni. this week. They have brought several fine pictures from the east as they usually do. Prof. Barbour is building a cottage on the vacant lot at the corner of 13 & R. St does not look like a very large house.

I will send you a lot of clippings in another envelope.
Your letter written the 14th of Nov. came Sunday. I am glad you are beginning to set some date to return in and hope you will have gotten the

grasshoppers under control before you start.

The weather looks like snow again today. The Teachers Association meets this week in Lincoln. I am not looking for any one here.

I suppose I ought to send your letters to West Point sometimes so your father could read them, but I am selfish. I want them myself, and supposed you wrote home to them once in awhile anyway. It must have been dreadfully hard on your way down there not to hear from home for a month. I get so restless when I do not get a letter every week from you and I have the children with me. I write every week.

Will try to write in a few days again. Hope you have received your book by this time. Good Bye with love,
Marcia