Sept. 5 - 97.
Dear Lawrence,
It has been another distressingly hot week and everyone feels the effect of it. We could not sleep here all night last night.

In my last letter I wrote to you that we were going to drum up to Valperaiso. Mr Phinney came back the day before we started and broke up the trip. I did not like to ask them for the horse. Seba went and took Psyche, Helen and Alice. They stayed two nights and Miss Helvie and Grace came back with them. Miss Helric went to church with us this morning, and went down town after dinner to stay with a friend. This week is rally week in the church. The faithful few are standing by the church. I suppose after the debt is paid

those will return who have not been so faithful lately. Our S.S. opened their banks today for the church debt and $63 was in them, and enough more was pledged by those there to make $100 - it leaves the debt $794.00 - perhaps about $300 more will come in and that will be offered to Mr. Gregory. He will be very foolish if he does not take it, as he will get the from price for that property and the interest on it for all these years except a few hundred dollars. 
I am anxious to hear from you again, did not get a letter at all last week, but suppose one will come Tuesday. That is the day your letters always come. I am anxious to pay up the pledge you made but do not dare to look for money from

you yet for awhile. I pledged $2.00 in S.S. this morning and gave $1.30 in dimes besides. 

Mr. Bridges have moved to Norfolk this week and will be greatly missed in our church. Collins have not gone to Nash. Yet. Mrs G is waiting for — expects to go as soon as she can. I hope by this time you have got the grasshopper under your thumb so that you can stay in one place more. Wish we were there to keep house for you when you get into the house you speak of. You would feel sorry for me and the children sometimes if you would see us all together talking about you. We sit on the porch evenings and they all three hang around me more than they ever did.

There is nothing much to write about. I suppose you got

my last letter in which I told you that Ella Motfall wants part of her money, and I want to pay her all up as soon as I can.

It is going to cost an awful sight to her this year. Flour is $1.65 a sack, potatoes 70 per box. Sugar dear, and so forth. The staples of life are so dear. I have to watch our bills too. Ellen is a splendid girl. She is a little cranky sometimes, but I do not notice that. 

I will close now and write a P.S. if I think of anything else. The children are quite well. Psyche is better some days than she is other - Lovingly, Marcia

Sept. 12 - 97.
Dear Lawrence,
It was nearly three weeks the last time before I had a letter from you. I had to possess my soul in patience as I know you would write again if you returned safely from your trip up in the mountains. The draft is very welcome too, as they are collecting the money for the church debt and want to have it all in by the 20th of this month. They will pay up everything and think Mr. Gregory will be wise enough to take what they can give him, even if it does lack a few hundred dollars of the amount. I have some money left of the $600 you sent, so I will have $150 left in the bank to pay up bills next month and buy coal with. You of course have recieved [sic] my letter by this time saying that Ella Westfall wants her money. So I will pay her as much as I can spare out of the next draft you

send - possibly $230 if you send $400 I am looking for that $38 insurance money sum and will use that to pay Phoneta the $30 I borrowed.

I will be sure to save enough to pay the insurance coming due Dec. 8 — ($52.89) You must not worry about me being extravigant [sic] — I do not spend any more than I have to. Of course it takes a great deal to run this house and keep a girl, etc. but the little debts are paid up and we have clothes for the winter — nearly enough — so I can save for the notes coming due. 

I want to do a little more doctoring to try and get well before you come back. My ankles have pained me so much this summer I am about discouraged. 

Psyche is ever so much better. One can hardly notice the twitching on her now. She will not be fit to go to school though. The State G.A.R. meets here next week and the schools have been post-poned until the 20th of Sept. on account of it.

The weather still keeps very warm. We had a small rain night before last. Nannie Frankish is here spending a week. She was in Minn. visiting

all summer and gained 30 pounds while away. Mr. and Mrs. Pettis had another baby born to them last night, a boy. I had given up going to South Amer. long ago, know you would not want [?]. I wrote to you not long ago and asked if we could go to Chicago and meet you. I think I will not do so but want to go to some of the lakes later when the weather is so hot. I do not want to spend another summer here right-away and think it would be pleasant to take the children to some cooler place. I think I can buy the coal myself. They know, at the coal office the kind you buy and I will get the same kind. Do not worry about it, I can see to it. Mr. Dales has already done so much for me I do not want to ask him to do so much. 

Alice Taylor came back today. Their mother may live a long time yet or she may die suddenly and she could not afford to lose her school. They left her mother in good hands.

just to hear her squeel or do anything I do not want her to do if she thinks it teases me. Ellen told her one day to let something be and she said to Grace, "Gats. Eunie, scolded baby." that is what she calls them.

She goes like a streak up and down stairs most of the time, but if she thinks I want her to go up, she pretends to be tired and says "Mama helpie baby up stairs, poor baby" Helen is real well now.

Fido is still above board. He does not bark as much as usual lately. 

I write a letter every Sunday, hope you get them all.

Our Sunday School raised $100 last Sunday for the church debt, guess I told you that before though. The children are tearing around and I cannot write more now.
Marcia B

Sept. 19 - '97
Dear Lawrence.
I will send you more clippings from the papers. by sending them I do not have to write about what ever it is. you know I am lazy about writing long letters anyway.

I am sorry you have had so much opposition and jealousy. but hope a great deal of it has dried out by this time. You must not mind it because you will soon start for home and it will not hurt you here. Mrs. Tremain has been very kind to send me anything about you that she gets. There seems to be a Mr. Huego down there that has a great deal to say about you. 

The yellow fever has reached the U.S. and seems to be pretty bad some places in the South. Hope you will escape it in that country. 

The sky was covered with grass hoppers yesterday going South, and Mr. Selleck told me today that he heard down town that they were looking for you. I said I wished

they would find you and bring you home on their wings.

Please save all the notices that Mr. Hunter or myself send you about yourself. You can burn my letters. In about a month I want to send you a small package which will be your Christmas present. You can save it for Christmas day if you want to and open it then, if it should reach you before then.

Psyche is so much better that Dr. Righter says she can go to school. She had two back teeth that were decayed and needed pulling. He thought they might affect her health and told me to take her to Dr. Finney for that purpose. She let him put cocaine on them and take them out and I really think she feels better. Doctor Finney said she should not go to school if she was his girl. I do not know what to do about it but hope whatever I do will be for the best. Both doctors have pronounced it St. Vitas dance but in a light form. She looks much better in her face. Lillie Morrow and Kenelm are out here to dinner today. Ever so many form W.P. are here this year. I will tell the name of all I know.

Lillie Morrow, Kenelm, Helen Langer, Jerome Langer, Lizzie Stiefer, Alice [?], Jimmie Crawford, Garret Clancy, Blanch & Grace Lorsch, Fred Koegley, and Charlie Beckenhour, will come to the Law school, Nannie Frankish has been here for a week visiting and she wanted very much to board with me this winter. I told her to try and find another place. She has made arrangements to stay with Mrs. Stevens on B. St. and goes today. I have made up my mind to take care of Grace Earth until she goes through the High School. Someone has to do it for her and she helps me too. Then if Ellen should learn I would not be entirely alone. Her clothes will cost something but I think I might as well do it for someone I know needs it than to give so much away to different things that we do not know about. Your letter to Psyche came last week. Poor little Helen is waiting very patiently for a letter from you. 

Do you take your Kodac with you If you do you will have some interesting pictures to show when you

return. Is your hair turning white I look for you to be very gray when I see you next spring.

Oh yes I forgot to tell you that Nannie Frankish gained 30 lbs in her vacation. Hattie and Mrs. Dougherty (Dr. Heler's mother) came up from Valperaiso and stayed two nights. They came to see the G.A.R. parade. You see we have as much company as ever. Mr. Drane was called east last week and has not returned yet. Mr. Drawers read a sermon this morning. Mrs. Hawley was called to Scribner to see her brother Mr. Nason, he is not expected to live a day.

Baby forms sentences now for herself. She says - "Mama Baby hunry." (hungry) "Help Baby to toto." (Help Baby to potato.) I could say lots to you if I could see you but I do not know how to say it in a letter so will close. Hope you get all my letters.

We had beef loaf, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cold slaw, bread & butter, pie and grapes for dinner. & jelly too.

Good Bye
Marcia

Sept. 26 - 97'.
Dear Lawrence,
There is nothing new to write about today. Every week seems to go very nearly like the one before it did.

Just at present I cannot sit and write in your room with any comfort on account of Alice. She cries to stay with me , and, when she is in here she pulls your books out of the shelves and throws them on the floor so I cannot do much but look after her. I hope to teach her better soon, but the books will be out of order when you return.

We all have had colds in our heads. The weather is hot one day and chilly the next. It is hot today. The ground is very dry & dusty. A rain would be relief.

I am spending so much money I do not know where I will end. It does take so much to run a family and everyone is doing so much for the church debt now it is money all the time. They think every cent will be roused before next Thursday. Only $220 yet today [?] the baskets

were full of envelopes - I paid $7 on weekly subscription. You are paid up now until the 2nd Sunday in Oct. I will not pay any more now until you send me more money. I sent the interest money to Ella yesterday and I [?] that there is $34 to be sent Dr. Nord the 1st of Nov. It takes so much for interest. I do hope we can have a larger part of it all paid off before long.

Mr. Hunter is going to send a bill of $40 to Lugger, and if I get the $58 insurance money I will have something to go on for a while. I also have $160 left in the bank of the last $400 you sent. I have paid into Plymouth church pledge $265.25 Have not bought any coal yet as the money seemed to go for more necessary things. Will lay in about three tons of hand and one of [?] soon. 

Ellen is still here. She gets awful cranky sometimes but I do not pay any attention to her and she gets over it. She is sick a good share of the time too. I pay her $2.25 now.

Our [?] Jr. Club started up again last Friday. Send me a new item once in a while for it. 

Did I tell you that my hair has been coming out so fast I had to go to a hair dressers and take scalp treatment. The hair is coming in now like a fine puff all over my head.

I wish you were here today it seems to get lonesome the longer you stay away. Hope you may go to Africa and return safely. You are having an experience that will last you all your life.

The Yellow Fever's very bad in New Orleans. I do hope it will not get as far south as you are. Must close this now, with love
Marcia B.