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Logan County Letters

Written by May Gregory in Guthrie to her mother Betsy Stout of South Haven, MI.

1907 December Thursday Afternoon

My Dear Mother,

Your letter came just before Xmas and was very glad to hear from you. I know you are too busy to write often.

I have been busier than usual myself but at last am pretty well settled. We have a very convenient house as large as I can take care of. I have made a little sketch to show you the plan. The rooms are good size. The rug I got is 9X12 and there is quite a border left all around it. The vestibule is so usefull to hang our maps in. The pantry is quite large and has shelves up to the ceiling. The bedrooms have wardrobes built in them for hanging clothes in. The kitchen has six doors in it which makes it hard to find places for everything, but will help to make it cool in the summer.

We have the heater in the parlor. It seemed too bad to put a soft coal stove on our new rug. We are going to burn wood in it as much as we can. We have only had the heater a couple of weeks and are well pleased with it. The laundry stove does very well for cooking. I am baking bread now. We got so tired of bakers bread.

I go to the Dr’s twice a week now. It only takes 10 minutes by streetcar. Ward has been quite sick all week. He was not able to keep anything on his stomach for several days. He is a little better today but does not want anything to eat. I think he took cold because his throat is sore. His tonsils always are enlarged, I am afraid he may have serious trouble with them sometime.

We are having real mild weather. It was so warm today we did not need a fire. It did not seem like Xmas to me. But we will probably have some cold weather before long.

Our hens are doing so well. I sell most of the eggs at 30 cents a dozen. Can make up a dozen about every other day. I keep count of what they lay and what the feed costs. They laid just six dozen eggs the last two weeks. Don’t you think that is good considering we have to keep them shut up. I cook all the vegetable peelings mix with bran nearly everyday. We put Pratts Poultry food in it, sometimes just red pepper. They have all the wheat they can eat, some corn and kaffin corn. We want to set some hens in January.

Friday evening January 3rd

I began this letter a week ago but have been so busy everyday I have not had time to finish it.

Charles has not been working the last two weeks so we did the washing. A neighbor loaned us her machine so I did not have to rub anything. I do the ironing a little at a time but I can’t seem to get a bit of time to sew and have so much mending on hand. My friend in the country, Mrs. Pond, sent me her sewing machine to use until I got my winter sewing done. I miss Marian’s help with the children’s clothes.

We have had such warm weather so far, it seldom freezes even at night. yesterday the children played outside without any wraps on. It has been raining all day and may turn colder. It will be a year next month since I came here. It was quite warm then.

The children had a nice Xmas. We had a pretty tree. Margie sent us all lovely books. Mine is the “First Xmas Tree” by Van Dyke. Charles is “The House Beyond The Marshes”. Marian’s is “Bible Stories“, Lillian’s “A Little Duck Story” and Ward, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, it has the cutest illustrations. John sent me a beautiful card. Gertrude sent us all mounted pictures.

We had some friends for supper New Years. We made pineapple ice cream. I made a cake with the whites of six eggs and put the yolks in the cream. It was real good.

I have not got the net for the curtains yet. Can’t decide what I want. The lace has turned rather yellow with being laid away so long, so can’t be used with white net unless I bleach it. I think I will get ecru net & dip the lace in saffron. i can match it in either white or ecru for 50 cents a yard. I laundered those curtains with the insertion you gave me and will put them up til spring.

I wish you wouldn’t send the bureau at present, we would have no room for it where we are. In the children’s room I have the girls bed and Ward’s cot and the little bureau which takes all the room.

Our apples just lasted til Xmas. They were so good. Good apples are 75 cents a peck here. We got a peck of oranges last week. Must close. Lovingly, May

Submitted by libbyanne2@comcast.net

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