June 19, 1914

Dear Diary,

My I have been working so hard helping Mama and then Papa with the crops. More than I have ever done before. So far this is the busiest season I remember. My hands look so stained and rough. I’m going to ask Mama if she has any healing cream she uses to spare as I could surely use some.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

June 20, 1914

Dear Diary,

It’s a quiet evening. We had a cold supper tonight so there wasn’t much to do for clean-up. I am sitting out in my garden watching it grow. Hazel says I am crazy but it’s growing so fast this week I really do think I can see it grow.

For a change Papa is done for the day and enjoying one of the many periodicals we subscribe to and Mama is working on a new middy blouse and skirt for Hazel to wear for her birthday. Supposedly the blouse is the latest in middy styles. Hazel picked it out of the Sears Catalog and Mama is copying it. She’s incredible, she can just look at a picture in the catalog and then make one like it. She’s teaching me her secrets and I have to say I am getting pretty good at it. This middy will be a tan color with a red sash belt and bow tie.  The belt goes around the hip and is kept in place by slits in the fabric which the belt is threaded through. It also features a squared front collar and is rounded in back and a red bow tie. She’s going to love it.

Vera was over this afternoon; we sure had a good chat. She says the new ranch hand working at the place across the road from them is smitten with me. She thinks I should pay him some attention. So handsome she said and more importantly lives here not in Washington. I did talk to him for a bit at the young people’s meeting and he is easy on the eyes but I absolutely am not interested in courting him or anyone else around here. I told her she could have them but she laughed and said no way she has has found her guy. Clarence is her one and only. I told her it was the same with me, Roy is my one and only.

I’m kindy afraid I feel another one of those sick headaches coming on again. I hope not, I can’t stand them and have been having them too often lately. When they get bad I can’t do anything, not study or even eat.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Mona, Wyo

June 22, 1914

Dear Roy-
How are you today? I surely hope you are fine and that your arm is well am sorry you are having so much trouble with it. I am pretty well except have a terrible headache today but will get over it I guess.
Bert and Sadie were here today they just left a little while ago they are going down home. Aunt Sadie is some ancious to see how every thing look in her garden. She just planted it and came up here. Bert just go back from shearing, Saturday. I am alone just now Mama went over in the field to where Papa is working and Hazel and Daniel are at school. I got a picture of Lillian and their big boy Saturday.
I really almost went crazy over it. Was so glad. I also got a letter from Lida, she wrote a nice letter.
Vera was up day before yesterday and I was down there the day before that.
I helped Papa in the field a little last week and want to help him some more soon as I can. My garden is looking fine, I stay in it half the time. I just have lots of comfort watching it grow.

 I suppose you are working hard today in the woods. Grandpa has a great time looking throu his glasses at that big tree in that picture. I wish I knew where to get a few pictures of some more large trees he enjoys looking at them so much. Justin said in his letter he was thinking of going to Buckley to work, so perhaps he is there now.

 Got your letter of course Saturday. I guess we will get our mail at Mona from now on and then I don’t know when we will get as we won’t be so handy but perhaps John will get it for us as he is always going.

Well my headaches so I will have to stop for now will write more tomorrow as this is only Monday. Good by until later.

Here I am this morning but don’t feel like writing very much so you will just have to excuse me this time. hope I can write better next time. Will not be sure of the mail either way from now on as you can never tell when you can get the mail or send any. I have a dreadful headache over my left eye. Well I will close now.

Best Wishes as ever Mae.

P.S. Don’t get worried if you do not hear from me regular for it is not always I can send a letter, but always do the best I can.
Excuse this poor letter.

(China letter included with this letter translate to : “Don’t say anything about me not feeling well but I must have to tell you I have felt pretty bad for a week, have got the blues too but don’t worry about me just think of you and I will be fine.”  

——————————————————————————————————————————

Nagram, Wash.

June 26^th, 1914

Dear Mae:

Well here I am again to bother you for a fiew minutes with my foolishness as I have nothing else to do this evening. Wish I could see and talk to you for a little while instead of writing. I think it would be much nicer and I can talk better than I write and I am not so very much on the talk either.

Well how are you getting along by now? I got your last letter last Sunday and of course I was glad but sorry you were not feeling very well and hope you are better now. You must be careful with yourself and not get sick any more than you can help for you don’t know how it hurts me to here of you being sick.

Richard isn’t here now, he got hurt last Monday and went to the hospital. It isn’t anything serious tho. He got hit on the leg with a cable, which bruised his leg quite badly. Haven’t heard from him since he left so I don’t know how he is getting along. I think he will be alright again in a couple of weeks. We sure miss him here, for he was playing for us on the violin every evening, and it has seemed awful lonely since he went away.

Tell Hazel I would like to be there to give her a good threshing for her birthday. Hope she will like her scarf. It seems funny to give a present like that in the summer but it is something that will last until cold weather come around.

I am not feeling so well this week as usual. Have had a pretty bad cold for a fiew days and it makes me feel pretty bum I tell you, and the weather is still pretty bad, rains a good share of the time, has been raining and early all day today and is coming down like sixty or sixty-five just now. I wonder if we are going to ever have any summer, it sure doesn’t look like it now. If we don’t has some sunshine pretty soon I am afraid it will be bad for the rasp-berries. They have begun to ripen now and should have some dry weather. I had a letter from Mother the other day and she said they had picked quite a fiew already.

• 

Lida has been sick with mumps but is just about over it now. Blanch Stockton is staying with the folks now she is picking berries. Mother said that Lillian and you’re your Aunt Ann were going to pick also. So guess that Justin and Lillian must be back in Puyallup. I would sure like to see them and I suppose I will in a fiew days now. I hear that the camp is going to close down next Friday, that will be the second of July, and it will start up again the following Tuesday so we will have only three days to do our celebrating. But guess that will be plenty of time for us to get drunk and blow in all our money.

Don’t expect to do any celebrating this year. I think I will stay home and have a good rest. I have been at home so little in the past two years that it is pretty nice to get to be home for a while. Think I will enjoy that more than any other way I can spend the time that I will have to spare.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Mona Wyo

June 28, 1914

Dear Roy –

This is only Sunday but I thot I would write a letter to you as I a kindy lonesome. I wonder how you are today. I hope your arm is alright by now. I am afraid you did not take good care of it did you, you must be careful. I have surely been on the sick list for a week or more, think I am some better today. I am alone today Papa is hunting horses and Mama, Hazel and Daniel went to church. I didn’t feel like going today. I sure hate to miss going but I just could not today.

Vera is alone too, so she said maybe she would be up. I hope she does, for then I would have good company. She was up yesterday to see me, but I was so sick I didn’t get to say much to her but if she comes today I will make up for lost time. Wish you were coming.

Well I got your letter also those other things. And oh how good those cherries are they are the best I ever saw they just kept fine and there was not one mashed or nothing wrong with them they just came in time as I had not ate anything yesterday and I ate quite a few. My there were fine. I sure wish I could help you pick them but I am afraid I would be more bother than good, as I would eat so very many. Well here comes Vera so will stop and write more later. Good by until then M.E.P

Monday 29

Well here I am to bother you some more. I wish I knew how you was this fine day. I am pretty good, feel better than I had that is for several days.

I will send this up Nagram as I think you will be there by the time this gets there. I suppose you will be home for the forth I hope so as it won’t be so lonesome there. Am glad Lida got along so well.

I think maybe we will go to Hulett for the forth. My uncle and Aunt lives there. I hope we can as I am anxious to see them, it has been a long time since we saw them. We are going Friday if we go as it is about 25 miles from here, I may stay a week or so as I think I would feel better if I stayed there a while as I may stay. All the folks want me to. Mama’s aunt and Uncle were here today and I gave them some cherries and they nearly went wield, over them.

Vera and I had a fine time yesterday as the folks did not get home until late.

Oh yes I have been going to tell you for the last several time how Aunt Sara Waddington is, she is not well by all means as she is in town yet. And Uncle Will has been awful poorly this spring and summer, he could scarcely stand to take treatment at all. I feel so sorry for them all. They have had quite a bit of trouble.

Hazel and Daniel are hunting for strawberries as they have to hunt for a hour or two for a cup. But they are sure good when we do get them.

I am glad your berries are so nice but sorry your Uncle got hurt. Your cherries must be nice too this year, those you sent were fine. I believe they saved my life as I have been feeling better ever since. I got a letter from Frank Risher, he is doing fine I guess.

Well I wish you was going to be here the 4^th but you are not so must make the best of it, I will try to write while I am up there if I can.

Well I will close as there is a terrible storm coming Thank you very much for everything you sent.

As ever, Mae