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- Transcript: Willis Monday Sept. 27th/75
My Dear Son
At Sams request I write you
today to say that he is much better, Saturday
night he had fever, and seemed quite sick
I commenced giving him broken doses of
Calomel, folowed with Quinine, And to-
day he is able to be up and says he feels
better than he has for ten days past. But
oh how badly he looks. Doctor Jordan has
promised to prepare him some medicine
that he says will reduce his spleen and
cure him, this done he will soon be well;
his mind has been in such a state of excit-
ment, he needs quiet and care, he seems much
depressed & looks so thin & sad. I had some
material on hand and cut him out two shirts, Sallie
and Mrs. Jordan are making them today & Mrs
J has given material for one pair of drawers &
Sallie one pair. I will get him some more
undershirts which will make him quite
comfortable until he is able to do something.
I agree with you that he ought to leave
Lynchburg & now is a good time to make make
a start from there as he has nothing left. But
where will he go & what is there he can do, except
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to go some where & commence work, I suppose his tools
are all washed away too. It would take money to start
a sheep ranch, but of this he has said nothing to me
as yet I doubt if he is suited for such business, not
alone certainly. If he had means to start with, and
I could live with him it might do. during the
rain & storm we were without fire as the kitchen
leaked all over & we had no other chance for fire
but in the Cooking stove. Gastons circumstances
will not now admit if his getting any other
place, he thinks of wintering it here in this
open house, building a chimney of sticks & dirt
to Sallies room. I do not know what to do
with myself, am as I would prefer almost anything
to having to spend the winter amid the nois[e] &
and discomfort that would exist, if I had the means
I could perhaps get a small place here where I
could have some quiet if not much else.
Again I have thought of writing to my Sisters
to see of either of them had a room with a
fire place in it that they could let me have
and stay with one of them this winter
What would you advise, Oh how I regret
ever giving up my home. I am daily remin-
ded of poor old Mrs. Ashe, but she fortunately
could die and get out of her discomfort
I don't wish to distress you,
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[written upside down, in pencil, across the 3rd page]
Old Mr. Thompson Col Sneets fatherinlaw died a
few days since at Grand Lake - it was he who list his
house by fire.
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no, far from it. I know you have had to
struggle hard against poverty to make
a start, greatly to my sorrow and regret. Is there
nothing I have that could be sold, to procure
me a little home of my own once more. I can
live here as well as any other place, and
perhaps as cheap, or cheaper, as wood is an item
and is plentiful here, then I could be near
to Sallie. Sam will likely stay with
us some little time do not know how long
at any rate until he is better. I am so glad
the destitute about the Burg are being provided
for by the Houstonians, have at last received
many papers from you giving accounts of the suf
-fering all along the coast. Oh how terrible it
is. I read with much pride, and pleasure, the
mention made of you and your opinion as
one of the Houston bar relative to the ten
ure of Supreme & other Judges. Mrs Judge
Bell saw the mention of you before my paper came & loaned us
the paper of same date. Sallies health con-
tinous poor _ Your two letters of Sept. 18th
& 19th reached me today. The letter you enclosed was
from Mrs Ashe of Sept.. 11th all were at her fathers
she was complaining some but the children were
well, she spoke of starting back about the 26th
which was yesterday. Said there was considerable
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sickness prevailing, had not heard from Mr Ashe
at date of writing and was feeling terribly
home sick. Said everything liked so changed
she wanted to get away & that no place was
like Texas
write me soon
Affectionately Your
Mother
Mary Jones.
Sam has got the Doct Jordans prescription
filled & will commence taking it tomorrow
Sallie has just received a letter from Miss
Lenna Gaillard she says all my umbrella [ ]
trees were blown down but the houses are stan
-ding. several of their buildings were blown down
part of the Galery to their house Gin was
left, but their blacksmith shop taken away
much damage to their corn & cotton as
one Cotton house blew down, her father
had been sick for some time but at date of her
letter was better he cannot sleep at night
since Freddies death
MJ
Sam says please write him any information
you may be able to gather about the Burg if the
water is down Yet? Whether Mrs Chamberlins
body has been found, anything relating to it
will be of interest to him
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