It’s to laugh for me to write you on the machine, because I don’t touch it once in six months, and so I use it most outrageously. Even at that though, it’s easier than reading my handwriting, and I do like to use it for old time’s sake. It’s so hot up here in the attic that I have taken off my dress and am adrip. Philipe wrote Pa that Mat and Martha had been cold ever since they got to the Soo and they have fires every night and now and then, the furnace. Devilish place it must be. I always thought Mat could stand more cold than anybody I ever saw. You remember how awful the house used to be and Mat walking around so breezily and saying how lovely the weather was.

I am so forgetful that I’ll tell you first about the shoes, lest I forget. I was mighty sorry they were so huge as I thought them lovely and I had a pair just like them and adored them. But mine turned out to be too big for me too, and I have sent them to you as second-hand. I had worn them a dozen or more times and I begrudged them because they were the first and only Colonial ties I’d ever had. They always came in style just when I had shoes and couldn’t afford more. Anyhow I think that with wool stockings you will find mine comfortable and if you like them half as well as I did you will enjoy them. Don’t spend the money on me; they were your shoes and I enjoyed giving them to you. If you want to send me something sometime, I would like some of those straw slippers that I wear in my bed-room, with straps crossing over my foot, not the between-toe kind as they hurt; the cheap ones with calico straps is the kind I use. I also want a coolie coat sometime with black or dark blue ground and something wildly vivid and silly and outlandish for the design. Maggie wants you to get her an umbrella. Japanese I thought, but Ell seems to think Chinese will stand the climate here better. Get it cheap, please, and send to me. And I thank you.

I see your letters home and we certainly do enjoy them and delight in your getting so much pleasure in with your work. I have just had a letter from you myself and Ned is so gratified at your taking his illness to heart and sounding so glad over his recovery. But then indeed you ought to appreciate him for he is daft over you. Is always telling somebody that you are almost too good to be true, and he misses you terribly and so do I. I will give your message to Mary Loving and know she will be pleased. She is so much prettier since she fattened a bit. Ann Green has gone to work for the Va. Northern Power Co. at Warrenton. Of course she can get home often for week ends from there. Mr. Green wrote a political book, so outspoken (on purpose) that a politician involved gave him $20,000 for it and suppressed it. Of course it was blackmail in a way, but Mr. Green claimed that the man owed him a huge sum for services and wouldn’t pay, and that he took this way to make him come across. It was a rotten thing to do I suppose, but I can’t help being glad for poor Lucile to have her home back. It was enough to pay for that. Of course she is lopped of her garden and her huge lots, but she has her home and they have the paper, though that is still mortgaged, and he even paid Ned four hundred (out of a debt of a thousand) which was beautiful for a life insurance premium and taxes just due, which it paid and enough over for the new hood, etc, for Panacea.

I spent Friday night at Dunbarton and had a fine time, except that poor Ell had had the last tooth that had to come out, out, and it had been crushed and removed in pieces and her mouth was very painful and had been for a week. She thought it improving some when I left. I won $3.21 at poker, which is my first winning for nearly a year. I’d forgotten how it felt to win. Am making it a nest egg for my down stairs toilet, that being my most biggest want now. All the kids were away, Scotty at Hilton and the others at Maryjane’s. I am expecting Babs and Nitch today for a visit and was disappointed that they were not on the morning bus. However Fanny Smith is here and Denden may be driving down to see her and fetching the kids. Nita has been here some time and it seems longer. She is good enough but tedious and she will keep the bathroom a mess, and as for room, good-night! I try never to look in it while she is here, it irks me so.

Pa is hung over my desk, using the whole space, as it is more impressive that way. That kakemono went behind the front door where it is mighty pretty when the door is shut. I have only two or three more birds to do and will put the quilt together at once and show it in the Culpelper fair on the 6th. It is eventually to be Denden’s; just as soon as she is able to live with her bed, and I will be very saving with it and keep it nice. It is really going to be lovely and I think I will try to get the prize here and at Orange and Richmond. But the judges may not admire it as I do. My dear donkeys didn’t even get mentioned.

Denden made Ell some mighty pretty clothes and her own are always pretty. She will have two nice house-party trips before the Deaconesses swallow her up. Son had an awful mashed-in-the-train-door finger but it’s about well. It scared me green when he showed it to me on his way south one trip, but he was very careful with it and it healed nicely. He and Jeff spent all his last home trip in concreting a spring at Kishon and laying water to the house.

I am crazy-wild over Ell’s frigidaire and am going to nest-egg for one too. She is very pleased and also with town lights. It doesn’t make any fuss compared with the Delco, and is automatic about running, which is very smart.

Jo didn’t learn to swim. He learned to float and all the swimming motions but doesn’t know how to relax. I suppose it will come in time. I couldn’t take him in here at all, as it was cool and damp; but the pool is so little-boy-infested this summer that it’s no fun at all. There seems thousands and they have got to be showing off all the time and yelling and ducking, anything to attract attention, horrid things. I paid three dollars for a ticket and only used twice, because of the little varmints. But I reckon I’ll take Nitch and Babs. Jo didn’t get his visit finished because there were two cases of sleeping sickness here and I got terrified and flew him home. One died, Mrs. Lewis’ little boy ten years old. In side of three days. They live next door to Burnett Miller and Jo had been there, to Mr. Miller’s I mean. The other case, Helen Macoy’s husband, was at the point of death for a week but is now amazingly better, I don’t know whether one can entirely recover or not. People keep saying the mind is never right again, but people say so many things that are not true that I hope perhaps Mercer will be all right.

Mr. Macoy sold his drug store to Jim Williams, the small dark nice looking boy who used to stay in there in the summer; hasn’t finished college, but Mr. Macoy will stay on just the same.

(The shoes didn’t have any address but Andrews and George, Osaka, Japan, and have been gone about a week, I hope you will get them.)

We were very proud at your being homesick for Canaan. It’s looking very pretty in spite of the dryness. The mallows were marvellous and the phlox was mighty pretty too. Both are just over. But nicotiana is going strong and blue sage and petunias, "mostly white" and us you said in one letter, but then white ones are pretty too.

Don’t mention it when you write me, but Mr. Wm. Jennings Bryan’s death was almost mine. Nita came flying home from the University (you may remember he is close kin) and thought of course "Brother" would be attending the funeral and she would go with him and sit with the family, etc, etc. But Ned, not wanting to go to the funeral, or write a letter, and having business in Washington, killed two birds with one stone, went to W. the day before the funeral, and sent his card up to Mrs. Bryan (I believe he saw her, I’ve forgot, anyhow he saw Bro. Charles again and he sent me his love. I must have written you about dining with him last winter, at Rob Fray’s, also a cousin?) and then came home again, to meet a disconsolate Nita who demanded to know any he hadn’t "communicated" with her? (These teachers and their grand language) But he wouldn’t be put in the wrong for once and said very pleasantly that she could have called him up. I was glad, for he generally lets her walk right on over. Anyhow she wouldn’t go alone and he wouldn’t go with her and she didn’t go. But I heard nothing else but Mr. Bryan and Cousin Mary until now and of course when Fanny came they went all over it all again with her additions of beautiful flowers and poor Cousin Mary, and the will, etc., etc., until I just didn’t stay in hearing at all. Finally when Ned had worn himself out pursuing me hither and yon to know why I didn’t come in or come out, or what, I just had to let out and tell him that when once and for all Mr. Bryan was buried and forgot and the family back and Florida, I would sit with the sisters. Now they are about through, and are deep in clothes, which is as usual and doesn’t upset me. The particular thing that got my goat was that they were every minute giggling and chuckling and having a grand time over Mr. O’Bannon and Cousin Bert Cooper being so interested and "Cousin Henry O’Bannon limping along at the funeral", etc., when if he was enjoying himself any more over it than they were, he must have been having a hell of a time, is all I have to say.

My poor Smith-Premier, his types are so dirty and his ribbon so worn and I make so many errors. However, I get so much more said than if I labored with a pen. William Leitch is engaged to the Rollins girl that he came here with this summer. She is the Chelf’s (?) niece and is supposed to be kin to the Grimsleys, but it’s that old style "cousin" that really isn’t. But she is very pretty and attractive, and why "Bill" I don’t see, but she seems to be very pleased. He seems as much of a baby as ever.

I was astounded at the Carrie Cowherd-George Schlosser engagement. I think every Cowherd in the neighborhood has given her a shower, and she must have a pretty good supply of that sort of thing. Ethel Stratton said she had given her about six presents besides the very nice travelling bag that was the real present. I thought she was old enough to be his mother, she looks it and she looks cross as sticks. The school kids hate her.

Jo isn’t any trouble now when he visits me when he is alone I mean – any two boys are a nuisance – as he is book crazy and will read for hours until you forget he’s about. I wanted to take him to Luray, but of course he couldn’t walk through the cave so he’ll have to wait. If I can I am going to take Nitch and Babs. Babs hasn’t been here for more than a year, thanks to that Nance.

Loads of love. I can’t write you anything as worth getting as you write me, but I know you will want it anyhow.

Handwritten ps – partly illegible:

Denden just left – she came just as I finished typing & fetched the ?? & stayed to supper, then she and Maryjane drove home, leaving Ned upset over their being out late, but they’ll get to Orange by dark & it’s all right – Denden had Son’s army pistol, which is as big as she is. Ell’s face was bad yesterday, but much easier today and less soreness, & she hoped the worst was over. Nitch & Babs are ?? very small ??. Fanny told Denden four times how she missed her & Denden was nice & sweet about it – I wanted to tell her to say it again & sing it.