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Washington Barracks
Dec. 10
Dear Alma,
I will enclose the check for the amount due in the bank. It was posted Dec. 19 ‘13 almost a year. It is really your money but if you want to use it for Christmas gift to Will I think it would be all right. He wants a pair of gold and platinum cuff buttons. And wants to select them himself. He said he saw a pair he liked in Springfield that he liked and would have bought them but they were links and he does not like links as well as buttons. I think we ought to try to get them as I don’t remember that he ever before has even made a suggestion. Perhaps you will be here in time to help him select them. When are you coming? We are not going to tell Margaret that you are coming and see if she remembers the name. I think it would be fine for you to go see Mabel between semesters. I believe that is late in Jan. I suppose Eva has sent on hers and her mothers letters. I have had none since.
I went shopping yesterday but it was domestic - no Christmas shopping. I intended to go today but it is raining again. We have had a good deal of rain lately. I will not write much. I have commenced to make a pad for Margaret’s bed. Her old one has gotten so hard by washing. My shopping was principally for her. Your letter has come on the noon mail. I believe it would be better to get the spoons at Lee’s. I would like to get a teaspoon for Elizabeth too so if you will get them there you can get all alike.
Will expects his promotion in Feb. but there is nothing definite about except that he will get it. He wants me to ask you about pecans. If they would in planting produce what is grafted or like the original stock that they were grafted on to. He is going to buy some thin shelled ones to send to Jim to plant so he can graft them onto the bitter kind that grow wild there, but he was not sure they would when grafted be what he would send.
Will was at the dentist’s yesterday. He has been having sore teeth but it was on account of tartar had not had them cleaned for a while.
He is going down this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping.
Eva wants an opera glass, an inexpensive but better lenses so she can get cheap seats at the operas and concerts and yet be able to watch the singer. Will is going to look for one today. She thought one could be bought for about six dollars so Will and I will get that.
Now what do you want? I thought you would get here earlier than the 23rd so you won’t have much time to do any shopping here and you would better make your wants known in time.
Will would like it if you could get another “Alma” from Miss Screet if she is making any this year. Margaret confessed a few days ago as to where she lost Alma, and it was what we had suspected for some time. She told Will that Alma was lost in bathroom and showed him where she had put her. I think you will see quite a change in her. She talks so much. I must now stop and go to work. I am so slow I don’t seem to get anything done. I get so disgusted with myself that I am so poky.
I have not yet written to Lily and Mabel but Eva said they would come if Mrs. Watson should go home. I hope they will for I want them to come.
With much love
Mother
It is bedtime but I will write a few more lines about Margaret. We had horse radish and she wanted to taste it but I told her it would make her cry - she was anxious for a taste and I gave her a little and watched - she never moved a muscle and said dee-licious she often uses delicious when she likes anything.
[bottom of the page torn off]
Will took her to the movies again this evening. She likes to go. He wants me to go tomorrow and take her. I am not sure that I will. I have not taken her on the car alone. Good night am off to bed now.
Dec. 10
Dear Alma,
I will enclose the check for the amount due in the bank. It was posted Dec. 19 ‘13 almost a year. It is really your money but if you want to use it for Christmas gift to Will I think it would be all right. He wants a pair of gold and platinum cuff buttons. And wants to select them himself. He said he saw a pair he liked in Springfield that he liked and would have bought them but they were links and he does not like links as well as buttons. I think we ought to try to get them as I don’t remember that he ever before has even made a suggestion. Perhaps you will be here in time to help him select them. When are you coming? We are not going to tell Margaret that you are coming and see if she remembers the name. I think it would be fine for you to go see Mabel between semesters. I believe that is late in Jan. I suppose Eva has sent on hers and her mothers letters. I have had none since.
I went shopping yesterday but it was domestic - no Christmas shopping. I intended to go today but it is raining again. We have had a good deal of rain lately. I will not write much. I have commenced to make a pad for Margaret’s bed. Her old one has gotten so hard by washing. My shopping was principally for her. Your letter has come on the noon mail. I believe it would be better to get the spoons at Lee’s. I would like to get a teaspoon for Elizabeth too so if you will get them there you can get all alike.
Will expects his promotion in Feb. but there is nothing definite about except that he will get it. He wants me to ask you about pecans. If they would in planting produce what is grafted or like the original stock that they were grafted on to. He is going to buy some thin shelled ones to send to Jim to plant so he can graft them onto the bitter kind that grow wild there, but he was not sure they would when grafted be what he would send.
Will was at the dentist’s yesterday. He has been having sore teeth but it was on account of tartar had not had them cleaned for a while.
He is going down this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping.
Eva wants an opera glass, an inexpensive but better lenses so she can get cheap seats at the operas and concerts and yet be able to watch the singer. Will is going to look for one today. She thought one could be bought for about six dollars so Will and I will get that.
Now what do you want? I thought you would get here earlier than the 23rd so you won’t have much time to do any shopping here and you would better make your wants known in time.
Will would like it if you could get another “Alma” from Miss Screet if she is making any this year. Margaret confessed a few days ago as to where she lost Alma, and it was what we had suspected for some time. She told Will that Alma was lost in bathroom and showed him where she had put her. I think you will see quite a change in her. She talks so much. I must now stop and go to work. I am so slow I don’t seem to get anything done. I get so disgusted with myself that I am so poky.
I have not yet written to Lily and Mabel but Eva said they would come if Mrs. Watson should go home. I hope they will for I want them to come.
With much love
Mother
It is bedtime but I will write a few more lines about Margaret. We had horse radish and she wanted to taste it but I told her it would make her cry - she was anxious for a taste and I gave her a little and watched - she never moved a muscle and said dee-licious she often uses delicious when she likes anything.
[bottom of the page torn off]
Will took her to the movies again this evening. She likes to go. He wants me to go tomorrow and take her. I am not sure that I will. I have not taken her on the car alone. Good night am off to bed now.
audio---images---comment---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
I will enclose the check for the amount due in the bank. It was posted Dec. 19 ‘13 almost a year. It is really your money but if you want to use it for Christmas gift to Will I think it would be all right.
I don't know what this is about, but I'll keep my eyes open.
2.
I think it would be fine for you to go see Mabel between semesters. I believe that is late in Jan. I suppose Eva has sent on hers and her mothers letters.
There are two possible Mabels: Fred's wife Mabel, recently returned from Africa with her mother due to her tuberculosis (Fred remained in Angola), and Alma's friend Mabel Watson. Because Mabel Watson is mentioned further on in this letter, I think this Mabel must be Mabel Stokey, with her mother, Mrs. Woodside, with whom the Stokeys were quite friendly.
3.
I would like to get a teaspoon for Elizabeth too so if you will get them there you can get all alike.
I don't know who Elizabeth is. Possibly a friend of Mama's middle daughter Laura.
4.
Will expects his promotion in Feb. but there is nothing definite about except that he will get it.
The promotion is from Captain to Major.
5.
He wants me to ask you about pecans. If they would in planting produce what is grafted or like the original stock that they were grafted on to. He is going to buy some thin shelled ones to send to Jim to plant so he can graft them onto the bitter kind that grow wild there, but he was not sure they would when grafted be what he would send.
Jim is Mama Margaret's younger brother Jim Provines, who must have been living in Texas, as he was when he wrote a couple of letters to Mama Margaret in 1916. The pecans didn't work out:
1916-08-13 LETTER FROM JIM PROVINES TO MAMA MARGARET
I have had poor luck budding pecans, have tried all the ways I know of but have failed to get any to grow yet - it may be the weather is too hot, or that I sweat too much. One of the catalogues says any one that sweats much can’t bud Pecan.
And:
1916-09-17 LETTER FROM JIM PROVINES TO MAMA MARGARET
My pecan budding was a failure, did not get any to grow.
6.
Eva wants an opera glass, an inexpensive but better lenses so she can get cheap seats at the operas and concerts and yet be able to watch the singer.
Eva is currently married to Frank and living in New York. I think that money issues were one of the problems in the marriage. They've been married for a little over a year at this point, and if the problems have shown up by now, then nobody is talking about them, but Mama Margaret doesn't even mention her son-in-law in this letter.
7.
Will would like it if you could get another “Alma” from Miss Screet if she is making any this year.
Will's daughter Maggie/Margaret had turned two the previous month. Her dolls tended to be named Alma and Eva.
8.
I have not yet written to Lily and Mabel but Eva said they would come if Mrs. Watson should go home. I hope they will for I want them to come.
Lily is Lily Love, and Mabel is Mabel Watson. Friends of Alma. See the Non-Family page for Mabel, Lil, Steenie, and Orestes.
9.
I have not taken her on the car alone.
This must be the streetcars.
I will enclose the check for the amount due in the bank. It was posted Dec. 19 ‘13 almost a year. It is really your money but if you want to use it for Christmas gift to Will I think it would be all right.
I don't know what this is about, but I'll keep my eyes open.
2.
I think it would be fine for you to go see Mabel between semesters. I believe that is late in Jan. I suppose Eva has sent on hers and her mothers letters.
There are two possible Mabels: Fred's wife Mabel, recently returned from Africa with her mother due to her tuberculosis (Fred remained in Angola), and Alma's friend Mabel Watson. Because Mabel Watson is mentioned further on in this letter, I think this Mabel must be Mabel Stokey, with her mother, Mrs. Woodside, with whom the Stokeys were quite friendly.
3.
I would like to get a teaspoon for Elizabeth too so if you will get them there you can get all alike.
I don't know who Elizabeth is. Possibly a friend of Mama's middle daughter Laura.
4.
Will expects his promotion in Feb. but there is nothing definite about except that he will get it.
The promotion is from Captain to Major.
5.
He wants me to ask you about pecans. If they would in planting produce what is grafted or like the original stock that they were grafted on to. He is going to buy some thin shelled ones to send to Jim to plant so he can graft them onto the bitter kind that grow wild there, but he was not sure they would when grafted be what he would send.
Jim is Mama Margaret's younger brother Jim Provines, who must have been living in Texas, as he was when he wrote a couple of letters to Mama Margaret in 1916. The pecans didn't work out:
1916-08-13 LETTER FROM JIM PROVINES TO MAMA MARGARET
I have had poor luck budding pecans, have tried all the ways I know of but have failed to get any to grow yet - it may be the weather is too hot, or that I sweat too much. One of the catalogues says any one that sweats much can’t bud Pecan.
And:
1916-09-17 LETTER FROM JIM PROVINES TO MAMA MARGARET
My pecan budding was a failure, did not get any to grow.
6.
Eva wants an opera glass, an inexpensive but better lenses so she can get cheap seats at the operas and concerts and yet be able to watch the singer.
Eva is currently married to Frank and living in New York. I think that money issues were one of the problems in the marriage. They've been married for a little over a year at this point, and if the problems have shown up by now, then nobody is talking about them, but Mama Margaret doesn't even mention her son-in-law in this letter.
7.
Will would like it if you could get another “Alma” from Miss Screet if she is making any this year.
Will's daughter Maggie/Margaret had turned two the previous month. Her dolls tended to be named Alma and Eva.
8.
I have not yet written to Lily and Mabel but Eva said they would come if Mrs. Watson should go home. I hope they will for I want them to come.
Lily is Lily Love, and Mabel is Mabel Watson. Friends of Alma. See the Non-Family page for Mabel, Lil, Steenie, and Orestes.
9.
I have not taken her on the car alone.
This must be the streetcars.
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LINKS TO OTHER RELEVANT PAGES IN THIS WEBSITE0
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- WILL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- EVA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- MAMA MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- MABEL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- THE NEXT GENERATION: DOCUMENTS ----- Maggie
- PROVINESES & GRACEYS: DOCUMENTS ----- Jim Provines
- NON-FAMILY: MISSION FOLKS ----- Mrs. Woodside
- NON-FAMILY: MABEL, LIL, STEENIE, AND ORESTES ----- Mabel, Lil
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