Oct 3 - 1897.
Dear Lawrence,
It seems harder every Sunday to think of enough that would interest you. You have been gone nearly six months now and it seems as if the little everyday matters would be too trivial to write about.

Everyone nearby who meets me enquires about you. This morning for instance in church, Mrs Cook sent her regards - Mr & Mrs Rirth Mr & Mrs Meeks, Mr. Selleck, and many others I cannot remember. You will see by Plymouth Notes that the $3,141.14 has been paid into the Treasury and $3.94 over. It had all be subscribed before last Thursday evening prayer meeting but $70 and that was raised on the spot. The church has recieved a new inspiration and every department is quickened.

Mr Daves face shone this morning with happiness. He preached from the 23rd Pslam - 1st verse. Miss Churchill is staying here over Sunday. She still sings in our choir. She wishes to be remembered to you.

Ella De Bell and Nellie came down to Lincoln again last Monday and left Friday. Dr. De Bell is going to some Sanitarium for rheumatism and may come to Lincoln. Ella and Nellie will go with him wherever he goes.

I invited all the West Point young folks who are attending the Uni out to supper last night. There were 12 of them. Helen Langer did not come. Someone said she had a beau down from Omaha the reason she did not come. I had chicken, mashed potatoes, warm biscuit, chocolate, jelly, pickles, cranberries, cake and some apple sherbert for supper, and

it would have done you good to have seen their lab. I suspect you would have enjoyed it too judging from your letters. Am sorry you are having such a time to get something to eat. You will surely appreciate our plain cooking when you return.

Seba, Grace, Psyche and Helen all go to school now and even baby slants down the road sometimes saying "baby do to school."

Helen recieved your letter last Tuesday and was the proudest child you ever saw.

Psyche is about the same she goes to school and some days seems to feel quite well, other days not so well.

Clarence King and Miss Gertrude Smith were married in the church last Wednesday evening. They were out to church this morning. I do not see much of the Uni people. Intend to call on Mrs

Mclean tomorrow.

I want to go to Omaha a week from Tuesday to the Annual Missionary meeting will be gone until Friday or Saturday.

Bartie Yoder was one of the young people out here last night to supper. He is going to the Uni.

It is still very warm, dusty, and sultry. We need rain very much. There are banks of clouds in the west tonight so it may rain.

I am afraid I cannot afford to keep Ellen very much longer. She is a good cook and does her work nicely but is so extravigant. The grocery bills for Aug. came to over $53 and are not much less this month. She insists upon cooking twice as much as we can eat and acts ugly about it. and is a big eater herself. She is so disagreeable too, in many ways.

I have money enough to pay all bills and $50 left over. am trying to be saving but with such heavy grocery bills and so many other things to pay for all the time it takes a lot.

Prof. Stout has bought a cottage over on 28 & R. St. They will move the 18th of Oct.

Mrs Edgrun went to Sweden about the time you left. She has returned. All the Prof's are back I think except Prof. Moore. He cannot get away on account of his wife in the east some place who expects to be sick any day.

Collin's & Pettis' people each have a new boy baby.

Mrs. Caldwell has gone on her yearly trip to Baltimore. 

Chancellor McLean had a gathering of Uni people at his house last night I did not go of course as I did not care to go alone.

Cal. Broady and Jennie McGraw surprised their folks by getting married one day last week. They are both very young and no viable means of support. Mr. Morres trial comes off this week I believe. He plead guilty.

Mr Finch's father and brother are visiting him now, his brother breached for us this morning.

I want to go to Omaha a week from Tuesday to the State Missionary Association. I can get away to be gone until Friday.

I suppose by this time the weather where you are is warmer and you are more comfortable. It will get warm enough for you before you leave I think. Just when will you be through and start for home? I hope you will be successful in your mission and find out all about the destructive grasshopper. Of course they cannot expect you, yourself to kill them all off while you are there.

Do the native women do any kind of fancy work, such as drawn work? If they do, bring a good supply home if it is cheap enough. You know like the Mexicans do I mean, and if you can find portierres or curtains for our arch that are pretty and cheap bring a pair, and I want a piece of cloth for a cushion, something pretty and odd, about 2 yds, in silk, linen, or anything you can find.

The subscription to the Outlook is due $3.00 so I will pay it before long.

Psyche has gone to school a week now and it does not seem to hurt her. She is not nearly as cross as she was last spring so I hope the most of her trouble is over. I can get one of those large out of doors swings for $6.00 and have a good notion to get it during the fall. The children can stay

out of doors then all fall and enjoy the fresh air. The doctors say that is what Psyche needs. Helen is learning to write nicely. She goes to Miss McFee.

Alice talks about Jack Lost (Jack Frost) now. I called her an unmitigated nuisance one day and she calls herself that now, does not miss a syllable of it. She fell off the foot of my bed this morning and bumped her head dreadfully hard, but seems to be allright now. She tries to sing everything the girls tell her too. When ever any one asks her about you, she always says "Poor papa"  I guess she has heard me say it.

Hope I will get a letter from you this week. The last one I got was while you was waiting for passes to go into Bolivia.

I almost hope you did not go. It is such a long distance and you might not get back safely. I hope you can eat some of the things here that you eat there.

There is nothing more to write about so will close, with much love
Marcia Brunner

Last night after church Seba said the church debt had been reduced to $125, nearly all paid in. That much

is to be raised before Thursday night. It seems wonderful where the money comes from.

Oct 10 - 97 (1)
Dear Lawrence,
I received a letter from you Friday dated Sept 1st I think and another one yesterday dated Sept 7. In the first one you give me a blowing up for not sending you more news and in the next one the same with the additional information about the evening of mail steamers. I am sorry that I have not send you news items but you may remember that I had just returned from W.P. and was as hungry for news as you were. I might as well have been in South America for all that I heard outside of West Point. When Seba came up there it seemed so good to hear from here, and then about the time I got here I had that very "blue" letter from you in which you said you had malarial fever and I did not have another letter from you again for nearly three weeks which made me nearly out of my mind, because I did not know what to expect to hear from you at any time. I think however I did send you clippings from the Journal before I went to West Point and I have tried to lately save most that you would be interested in. Of course during the summer the Uni. people were all away and there was hardly ever anything in about any of them, and then again

I live out here where I am not apt to know of the happenings at the Uni. Except as I hear occasionally. I urged you to have the Journal sent to you before you left if you will remember, but you said you would borrow it of Mr Mcrosky. We ordered it sent to you for there monthly and I will have it sent longer when I found out just how long you intend to stay. I hope you will come home by Europe and see that much more of the world. I will send you yesterdays and to-days Journal. We have marked on important items in Saturday's paper. Miss Lithet's resigned and Seba was elected in her place as Princ. of the Prescott school. The only one who seemed opposed to it seemed to be [?] Saylor. He had other ones that he would rather see pushed. Seba feels pretty big over it. She has borrowed 250 off Nannie Frankish and will pay off her work to that man in the last and hopes to pay Nannie up this year.

I have called on Mrs McLean lately and took your two letters you wrote to Psyche and Helen for them to read. The Regents met last week, there has been no report of their doings in the paper. They say there are five brides among the faculty ladies. They will have their first Faculty club meeting Wednesday.  Mrs Liese was out one morning and told me a few things about the Uni. She said there were only a few of the faculty in sympathy with Prof Holf. He and his wife have gone to Lockridge

boarding house for the winter, and is in the Uni Library everyday, goes to Chapel and tries to annoy the Chancellor in every way he can, besides having his mail all sent to the University in care of Prof. Caldwell. Mrs. Prof. Ward was ill with nerves yesterday at our Sorosis Jr. and noticed the nervousness was beginning to develop quite rapidly. She is — —.

Mr. Hunter was away all summer. I hardly ever see him. Prof. Taylor is away most of the time. He travels around at his own [?] for the Trans-Missippi [sic] Exposition.
Mrs. Bessey said last week (I met her at the Hayden Art [?] reception) that Prof B. recieved [sic] a letter from you, and was very glad to get it.

Mrs. Sherman says she is glad you have sense enough not to allow us to go down where you are.
Mrs. Gibson spent the Summer in the east around Boston and said she was proud to tell people that she knew us. You was such a noted man there.

I did not go to church today, but took a long walk over to see Mrs. Miles. I want her to stay here next week for a few days while I go to Omaha to the State Missionary Association. She can come so I feel as if I could go.

I am going to let Ellen go when I return. She has been so dreadfully extravigant [sic], and like all Swede girls saucy. Is a splendid worker, but I could not stand the grocery bills. She waists and eats so much.

I think I wrote that Grace is with me this winter. She is not well. We do not know what can be the matter with her, but seems to be failing fast. Some one has to give her a home and it might as well be me as any one. She does enough to pay for it, but I cannot depend on her to do heavy work. She hardly ever complains, but looks so badly. Her lips have been bloodless lately. 

You do not realize the condition Psyche was in when we returned from West Point. She had never had an attack like that before. The muscles of her face and left hand and foot were beyond her control, and she seemed to be going into the St Vita's dance rapidly. I took her to Dr. Righter and he pronounced it that. So did Dr. Finney later, but she seems to be almost well now. Dr. Righter is all paid up except the 5 or 6 times Psyche has been to him for medicine. I will enclose a slip of paper with items of the most of the $400 you sent.
I never see the Morres now. Have been too busy to go there lately and they do not come out as often as usual. He plead guilty to taking the money.

To see Mrs Gehrung and Nellie on the street together is the oddest sight I have seen for a long time.

The weather has been so intensely hot until last Friday (Oct 8) the wind changed to the North. Seba and I put the little hard coal burner up in the sitting room that evening and I have had a fire in it since. It seems so comfortable to have a fire. How miserable you must have been all this time without a fire to warm by. By the time you get this it will be quite warm

there I suppose. 

I had a letter from Ella H. a yesterday ago in which she says she only wanted the money to buy some new furniture with and Jerome hopes we will not send it. I intend to send her all I can spare though. 

I have found out one thing since I have had charge de affairs, that we could clothe ourselves on the money that is spent for interest, and dress nicely too. I shall not have anything done to the house or walks or yard this fall but wait until you come home.

Will not have an operation now either. Would rather use that money to pay bills.

Mrs Chas. Crooks had her left leg amputated up nearly to the hip on account of a diseased bone and now they think it will have to be taken off at the hip. She suffers so much.
I dream every night that you are here. Most of the time it seems as if we have been to church together. I suppose because we have been having such exciting times lately in the church.

Helen is learning so fast, by Christmas she will be in the third grade. Psyche keeps up well too, and you would hardly know Alice if you were to see her. She is the finest kid we ever had. She goes sailing around the house from one piece of mischief into another as fast as

she can. She seems to be the healthiest one too. I have not had to have the doctor here once for her since you left and have only got medicine twice for her. She is almost as broad as she is long.

Amy secured a school in Wisner. Ella and her husband are coming to Lincoln. He to take baths at the Sanitarium. 
Hope you have taken the long trip you speak of in so many of your letters and have returned safely. It seems queer the grasshoppers are all disappearing. How do you account for it! I must close now with love,
Marcia Bruner

Seba and I racked our brains yesterday to think of news to tell you, and I think we have made out a fair letter.

Get me two or three yards of some pretty goods in Buenos Ayres and whenever you go to make into cushions — I am going to have a collection of them. It need not be expensive but something to show the cloth of the country. You can get several different pieces if you want to, and one piece of 4 or 5 yds to cover a couch with. 

Dear Lawrence,
Here is a letter Mr. Doane wrote to you Saturday but did not send out until this morning. He asked me if your offer to furnish paint for the church still held good and I told him I did not know, that I — personally — would not agree to give the money for it until after the 1st of Jan. if you had so promised, because I had other obligations to meet now. He said they could get the paint easy enough on time if you wanted to stand good for it. I told him to write to you about it. Seba said she would pay you $5 toward it if you furnish it, I think they have gone on painting the church hoping to hear formally from you. I saw a notice in yesterday morning Journal (Oct 11) from Uruguay, S.H. saying that grasshoppers had returned to that country in vast numbers. Will borrow the Journal from someone and send. The girls must have taken it to wrap their lunch in. I start for Omaha in a few hours.
In haste,
Marcia

Oct 17, 97. Lincoln, Nebr.
Dear Lawrence,
It does not seem possible that it is the 17th of Oct. but time does pass us when we think it will drag.
Well I went to Omaha last Tuesday and returned Thursday evening. There were ten Lincoln Congregational ladies [?] to Attend the Annual Missionary Assoc. and a number of men amongst them Chancellor McLean — [?] on the same train to attend a Presbyterian Synod. 

We enjoyed ourselves immensely and enjoyed the meetings. I stayed with your uncle Tom's and had a lovely time with them. I feel as if I could go there anytime now to visit - did not go to see anyone else while there and I did not want 

to miss the meetings, except I [?] to call on Mrs Yodes for a few minutes she lives near them. It was so hot and dusty all the time we could hardly stand it but it changed Friday night and rained some, has been raining ever since and was so cool this evening I started up the furnace. This is the first time since you left it has been running, that is pretty good, isn't it.  bought 4 tons of hard coal after I came back. It has [?] for $7.50 per ton. I got just what you did last year of Chas. Gregory and will not have it thought out while the ground is soft. You need not worry about things here I will try to look after everything, of course you could do it better than I but then as long as you are not here I can, and will try to do as near right as possible. I dread taking care of the furnace and may have

to hire a girl again to help me, I let Ellen go away before I went to Omaha. She got to be too much at home here and we did not any of us like her, but I find it is going to keep me busy to take care of your business, the furnace, children, housework, go to church every, make calls, go to my club, and the forty other things I seem to have on my string to do. Grace helps me lots, but she does not get home from school until 2.30 o'clock so I am very much tied down.

Dr. DeBell and Ella & Nellie, Mr. King and Seba came to Lincoln Friday night. They did shopping yesterday, and Mr. K. & Seba came out here this morning. He went back to Omaha today and Seba will stay until Tuesday. Dr. De B- & Ella

will stay here awhile. He wants to take the baths at the Sanitarium for his rheumatism. They are stopping at the Lindel, I wish I could ask them out here and if it was Ella and the girls alone I would but I do not feel as if I could keep things nice enough for him. They want to go to the Theatre and have some fun and spend some of their money anyway and I think will enjoy themselves there.

Aunt Nellie passed through Lincoln yesterday on her way to Peru to see Laura who is going to the Peru Formal. She is going to stop here over a night and day on her way back.
I took some of your letters that you wrote to the girls to Mrs McLean and the Chancellor to read. He asked me if I would care if he had them published and so I did not. I think he will have parts of them published

in next Sunday's Journal I will send you one when it comes out.
Am sorry I have not hunted up more news to tell you, but I was away most of the week, and have not been to church for two Sundays, and have seen no one lately, and have not had time to read the Journal so I might as well be down there for all I know to make me wiser.

I had Mr Felton clean up the yard yesterday which [?] its looks and he put some new roosts in the barn for me. I gave him a piece of carpet that was in the barn for pay. He is going to put in the storm windows and doors when it grows colder too.  They are hard up and I would like to help them a little.
Monday - I did not finish this

yesterday and send it off Monday as I generally do. I will now finish it for the mail this afternoon.

The New York Life wrote that "The dividend under policy 258.73 not having been drawn in cash, which was due Aug 12, the value of same will be added to the policy as Reversionary Additions, Amounting to $130.00. The premium of Aug. 12 was duly paid and reported to the Company." I am sorry they did not send the $56 to me as I wanted to apply it on debt and stop this paying out so much interest. Suppose I will have to send $34 to R. Halsted Nord before long, I formed your memorandum you made for me, again and notice there is interest due from the 1st of Nov.

The furnace went out during the night and I do not believe I can [?] it my back is nearly broken now with shovelling [sic] in coal yesterday. 

It is warmer today and I will hunt up some boy to help me with the chores unless I get a strong girl again. 

I wish I could tell you more news but as I said I do not know myself of anything as I have no seen or heard of anyone or anything.

Baby said today "Mama, baby want grape." I gave her one. She said, "baby want more grape." I gave her another but she wanted the bunch and thought a minute then said "Baby want two, three grape." She never hesitates for a work but talks a blue streak all day. She has not forgotten you yet. She has a whole mouth full of teeth.

It is still raining, I must close now. Hope I will get a letter from you this week. Yours, Marcia Bruner

Lincoln. Oct 25 - 97.
Dear Lawrence,
I was so busy all day yesterday & did not have a chance to write my customary Sunday letter to you, but suppose this will get to you just as soon. I have not had a letter from you now for two weeks and three days. I think you must have gone on the long trip you spoke of in your last letter and could not mail another letter to me as soon as usual.

I have been [?] a girl now for two weeks and get along all right except it is hard to get up so early mornings and look after the fire etc. and stove, there has been some one or two here every day nearly. Last Sunday and Monday Seba

was here. Tuesday evening Mrs Frankish and Narmie came out to supper and stayed all night. Wednesday Lettie Monroe was out to supper Thursday Dr. DeBell and Ella and Nellie came to supper, Saturday Nellie was here all day and yesterday the doctor and Ella to dinner again. They will go back to W.P. again today. He came to take the baths for rheumatism at the Sanitarium, but did not go in anything but the plunger. Ella wanted him to consult Dr. Everett and take private baths but he would not do it. He soon got tired of staying at the hotel and is going back to Rosebud. He is so good and kind to Ella.

Your father sent me a barrel of apples, he wrote that he would start for the claims last Friday night. I must empty the apples into another barrle today, the one

they came in smells badly.

All of Hanley's folks have lagrippe. We are all so well, the children got through the last change in the weather without catching much of a cold and I gave them a better medicine which soon cured them. It is so warm again that a fire is a burden in the house during the middle of the day. 

Mr. Doane was called east last week by a telegram saying that is father was very sick and he started right away but before he got there his father was dead.

The church was to have had its anniversary soon, but I think they have post-poned it. It was post-poned last year on account of Will Bridges funeral. Did I tell you that the Bridges have moved to Norfolk. The Collinses will move to Washington soon. While we will miss them, yet in

have so many new ones, the church is crowded every Sunday with strangers.

The Chancellor has had three of your letters for some time and was to have them published in the journal, he does not seem to attend to it. Ever so many ask me to have them published, and Mr. Jones sent me word he would like to have them. I must stir him - (the Chancellor) up about it. 

As usual I do not know much about Univ. affairs. Have not seen a soul from there since I wrote last.

I went to see Mrs. Moore Saturday. She talked quite freely about their affairs, the first time she has done so. She says Eugene hopes to get cleared and will try to pay the money back, and she thinks he will be a better man in the end than if it had not happened. She says 

he has paid dear for his experience but he will leave politics alone hereafter and she hopes he will try to have save something. She says that he has always had so many dead beets living off of him - like Valintine - that will not help him any more that if he ever does get started again he will know better than to lend them so much money.

Daisy Dewell writes that she and Bessie - uncle John's wife - are coming over soon, and Clara Heston also writes that she would like to make one a visit. You see I am not forsaken by my friends. Jim has the nomination for State Senator, but they hardly think he will get it.

I never heard anymore from Willie Dewell. I think his wife does not favor his coming here. She thinks an Amer education is good enough. During the past week, Chas. H. 

Dana of N.Y. City, Senator Paddock, and Geo M. Pullman have all died suddenly.

Burglars are very active now. They are trying nearly every other house. Two masked men asked Mrs. Mayeis down at this first drug store to let them in. She thought it was some one for medicine and let them in the both had loaded revolvers and made her hand over everything they wanted. She sleeps back of her store.

I have cut out things here that may be of interest to you.

This is wash evening and I must close.
Marcia Bruner

Lincoln Oct 31 - 97.
Dear Lawrence,
I will try to write today with the children all leaning around me, and baby climbing in chairs. That is her latest fad now, to climb on every thing she comes to. You would not know her if you were to see her. She is no longer a [?]. Today is cold and I had to write out where there is a fire and did not dare bring out here for fear it would be tipped over. Hope you can read this pencil.

I did not hear from you for exactly three weeks and finally yesterday recieved [sic] the letter you wrote on board the steamer

going up to Paraguay.

You spoke of it being a long time to wait to hear from home, well it seems a long time to wait for letters from you. I did not worry about you as I thought you was on a trip of some kind, but I get so lonesome when I do not hear regularly. 

It has turned real cold out doors today and clouded over. I have not started the furnace yet, but think I will in the morning. Our little stove does nicely, I let the girls build a fire in the grate this morning too.

One afternoon last week it was chilly and damp so I started a fire in the furnace I looked on the card of directions and it said to keep the furnace well filled so Seb and I filled

it out well, and oh my we got the house so warm we could hardly stay in it that night. We went down several times during the night to fix the drafts and were all played out by morning. I did not put in so much coal the next night and it went out, that furnace is a nightmare on my hands. However, Eliza is coming back after awhile and she can seen it I guess. She writes that her father is very low and is only kept alive on medicine, and she will come back as soon as every thing is over she will come back [sic]. It will cost me as much to have my washing done and the furnace attended to as a girl will cost, and I do not want

they care of the furnace. I have enough to see to anyway. We were all so glad to have Ellen go, she was the most tiresome girl I ever had.

I have looked over this week's Journals every day & cut out a great many things I thought would be of interest, of course can not save everything. Hope you get the Journal by this time. Chancellor McLean sent your letters to the Omaha Ble instead of the Journal. Every one that knows about it thinks it so strange. I had told ever so many to watch for them in the Journal. He is sending communications regularly to the Omaha papers now and I suppose thought that would be a great thing to send. I intend to send your last over to the Journal

this week.

It will take $25 or more of the next lot of money you send to buy clothes, shoes, etc for myself and the children for winter. The [sic] have not had very many new clothes so far. 

The trustees of the church want Seba and I to select the paint for the church as you and Seba are supposed to furnish it. Mr. Doane is still in the east. There are so many strangers there every Sun. 

Our chickens are determined to roost in the hills around back of the barn, and Psyche and I have caught them night after night. She has to climb way out on slim branches and I catch them from her, one

then put them in the barn and shut the door, but it is the same thing over again. I am going to let them stay out and freeze to death hereafter if they want to. We are eating one once in awhile. There seems to be a skunk living in the north side of the barn. He has not asked my permission [?] the cobs, and everything smells so strong we can hardly stand to burn them, and the opening to the north part is heavy with perfume.

I am glad you get a good square meal; with some civilized people once in a while. Wish Mr. James would ask you oftener.

Mrs. Morsenstrecker and Mrs Nard gave a reception yesterday afternoon, and

Seba and I went.

Next Friday evening, Mr. & Mrs Wilson, & Mr. & Mrs Hall will give a reception to Prof Howard and wife of Gala. I am going with the Fosters.

I sent the $34 to R. Halstead Ward, M.D. — Troy, N.Y. yesterday, am about of money too, if you have recieved [sic] all of my letters before this you will have items so that you will know about where the money has gone to that you have sent.

We all dream nearly every night that you are home again and Psyche said she dreampt [sic] last night that you were home and scolding her like fury for something.

Sometime during the week I will send you a small

package which you can keep and open Christmas morning or open when you get it. Just as you feel like doing.

The girls have been so lively I have not got sense enough left to write any thing more, so will close, with much love,
Marcia

I forgot to tell you that we recieved [sic] Dr. Helen's wedding card last week. He married a nurse that he met in the Hospital back east.

Oct. 31, 1897.
Lincoln, Nebr.
Dear Papa,
There has been a skunk in the barn, and it stinks like everything in there. The lice are eating all the feathers off the old rooster and hens. Haukey's old pig has four little pigs. It is very cold today, and I wore my red jacket to sunday school. Mrs Walton's got the attendance banner and a banner for collection this sunday. In the tests we have had in school I got Spelling - 80. Geography 95. Language - I got 80 at first and then every Friday, we have a 

P.S. Mamma thought Mrs. Frankish was coming, but she didn't

Lang. test and I raised every mark to 95. Arithmetic - 86; We had an other test in geography Friday and I won't know what I got until tomorrow. This morning I built a fire in the grate all my self. We are going down to Aunt Hattie's house Christmas. One Friday in every month we have a visitors afternoon and our noon chooses a committee of three children to get peices for the others to speak, next Friday is the first time we will have had it. The children choose me first of all the others and then [?] then Marie Owens. Goodbye, Psyche Bru