Letter transcription:

New Castle, Ind. Oct. 6. 1885

Dear Sister Lena;

I am indebted to you, to Ella, to Zora, and to Sherman and perhaps to Minnie, for kind missives received somewhere in the remote past, so long ago that without reference to my “Column of Correspondents” I could by no manner of means locate their timely arrivals.

First and foremost—we are well: O what a boon is good health while so many of our acquaintance are stricken with the harsh hand of disease, and many fall victems of death; God spares our lives and blesses us with health. I trust you are well, and that Ella and all

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hers are in good health.

There is quite a number of cases of Typhoid fever in this country this fall. A young man by the name of Peacock, who worked the summer for Ettie’s Pa is down with it and, if not now dead is not expected to live.

Bertha Hartche, of Muncie, you remember her, was not expected to live the middle of last week, we don’t know whether she is still alive or not.

I was preaching in Clarke Co. when I was to have been at the S.S. celebration, as you perhaps recollect, and when there a good old Brother of ample means offered to pay all expenses if I would bring my wife down and visit them and attend the Southern Exposition at Louisville, I was to preach a couple of nights as an equivalent to expenses.

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When I came home Ettie at once approved of the arrangement—who would not. On my return from my ten days absence Ettie was at her father’s, and as made known to her the proposed trip she invited May to go with us which arrangement was finally consummated making the trip so much pleasanter for Ettie.

We left here on Monday morning and went direct to Bro. Gibsons who lives at Gibson Station eight miles from Jeffersonville on the Ohio & Miss R.R. We went by way of Indianapolis, and as we had a few hours there we visited the State House—there is quite a number of marble and granite columns in the corider—‘twil be grand when finished. We also visited Mortens Monument in the Circle Park.

We had a grand, good time the girls said they never visited a place that paid better than this visit.

But I cannot further describe our trip this time as I must lose [leave?]

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Before closing however.—I spent a couple of weeks at Blountsville holding a meeting—staid all night during first week with a Mr. Barr whose wife is a niece of Charley Booe’s Mother—fine folks—big noses like the Booe’s & Moffetts—

On Monday 28 ult Mr. & Mrs. Booe and Mrs. Roysden were at church. As a [I] went to shake hands with Mr. B. supposing him to be a resident (as were the several others I met as I steped into the church) I was in for letting go his hand but he held on until finally I looked up to see why he didn’t let go—well you may imagine my astonishment.

I must close. I have been interrupted and did not get this done as above date. Sally Smith is here canvassing for something called yestar. I am going to Cleaveland Ohio to Conventions—see Standard. Ettie is just finishing Lou’s ricrac—

Love to all—Your Brother Eugene S.

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P.S. Am out of ink.

©2018 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
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