Calhoun County AlArchives History - Letters .....Letter (Oct. 7, 1919) To: Stella Gaines Roberts Orr - From: Roberta Aurelia Roberts October 7, 1919 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Shirley Mellon Dewberry dewberry@cableone.net July 27, 2010, 7:56 pm Source: Letter Postmarked: Fort Worth, Tex Oct 7, 1919 To: Mrs. James A. Orr 1010 Church Street Oxford, Alabama 2412 Sixth Ave Fort Worth, Texas October 7, 1919 Dearest Cootie: As the Thompsons are fixing off to town to see about getting furniture for this mansion and Mamma and I are not going, will attempt a letter to you, and hit er rainin'. We all went down yesterday but I couldn't see where we gained anything by going so suggested to Mamma that we stay at home this afternoon. It is not much pleasure to go with Mr. P. K. (Thompson) for he goes just to the place he wants to go and no one else has any say so in the matter. We never go to a dry goods store with him, nor a drug store, and them is where I shine. You should see this house - it is plumb beautiful and every convenience imaginable. Only wish we could have one half as nice. The question now is what kind of furniture will be put in it. It cost like smoke out of here and you know Mr. P. K. is not to anxious to part with his money. He wants to make a big show and be a big fellow but feels that money put in a home is dead and it surely hurts his feelings to furnish this house as it should be. Of course, he is going to have to come across finally but so much arguing would run me bug-house. I'd rather play a typewriter for mine than talk it out of a close fisted husband and know he is begrudging it all the time. Everybody in this neighborhood have millions and their homes are beautiful and even tho' it is mighty nice to be able to live among them I imagine these folks will get tired of it when they find that they can't keep up. You know Cousin Mary is cranky as can be on some subjects - wouldn't let them have a Forty-two game in this house for a pretty and to dance would be sure destruction. We have lots of fun joking about these neighbors and Mr. P. K. don't always look so pleased over it because he thinks he has done the proper thing and we should all be grateful for his efforts. We moved in here Saturday afternoon late and have been working ever since. Sunday made no difference to us for this house was in a mess and had to be straightened out some - it is still far from it tho' as the lower floor is not furnished at all. The living room, dining room and a bed room down stairs will have to be furnished straight out and they had to buy a gas stove. That only cost seventy-five dollars. There are all kinds of built-in bins, china closets and other closets, two bath rooms with toilets in them and one extra toilet. The basement has the furnace and an instantaneous heater so that we can have hot water all the time but that hasn't been regulated yet. Up stairs there are three bed rooms and the sleeping porch, which is closed in (glass) and can be heated just like the other rooms. Most of this will have to have new furniture too so you see it will be no small matter to get them started out in the Ryan Addition - that name goes a long ways. I have never seen as many windows in my life and all sorts of French doors - all to have shades and draperies. A furniture and drapery man came out this morning to measure and see the house so they might fix things up in great style and the furniture man from Venus had to come up too. He is a special friend of the family tho' and can help them out on prices. He took dinner with us. Guess you have heard of Mr. Sanders, the biggest goose in this state? He is the fellow. He calls Mamma "Auntie" all the time (but so does the rest of Venus) and he told a man down town yesterday that he would have to buy her an ice cream cone pretty often to keep her in a good humor - every time he would introduce the crowd he would say "This is the Thompson family and Auntie". He thought he had a mighty big joke on Jabie today because one of the fellows who waited on us yesterday asked him after we had gone if the good-looking girl (meaning me!) was Mr. Thompson's daughter too. He said he told him "Lord, no, Man, she lives in Alabama!" and the fellow said he knew the ugly one was a Thompson. Mr. Sanders tells all the ridiculous things he can on Jabie and picks at her all the time. He wanted to know a while back if any of those boys down around Galveston got so excited over the storm that they married Mary Lee and said he knew no man on earth would ever get excited enough to marry Jabie. That reminds me - we had a beau Sunday evening, did Mamma write Lila about it? Sam (Sam A. Mellon Sr.) came to see us and it was quite a surprise when he walked up. He tried to get us over the phone but couldn't so just came on around and we had a good time. I think Jabie like him real well and felt very much at home with him with because he carried on as much foolishness as we did. We didn't have enough bread for supper so started out to look for some in the car and took him with us. There is not a bakery very near us so we had a nice ride and then didn't get any. Jabie and I know about as much of Fort Worth as we do of New York City so he was in dangerous hands but we brought him back safely and took him clear to the garage in the back yard and through the kitchen. Guess he feels well acquainted with the entire family - they had to cook biscuit and we tried to get him to eat, ten o'clock supper with us but he had already eaten his. We are hoping he will be coming back for we aren't loaded down with beaux. The Dallas Fair is going on and I suppose we will go over to it one day at least. Mr. P. K. hasn't mentioned it but we have discussed it ourselves. It last about two weeks. Another attraction is Grand Opera, which is the 27th, 28th, and 29th. If we are here Jabie and I will have to cash out Liberty Bonds, War Saving Stamps and everything else we have to see at least one opera and say we have been so be prepared at a moments notice to ship my Bond. We haven't decided just when we will go to Alice (Alice Roberts) and Mattie's (Mattie Foster) but suppose it will be real soon as Alice wrote me that she was expecting Frank's family this week for a week or ten days and wanted us to come as soon as they left. I also had a letter from Mattie telling us to come when ever we felt inclined. The reason I am not at all enthused over their invitations is that I have nothing to wear AS USUAL. My summer clothes won't make much of a impression as they are plum soiled and look bad. If I can get me a dress that looks like anything without paying a fortune for it, think I shall purchase one and will have to have a waist too. You know, Cousin Mary tried to dye my blue foulard but made a failure and I can't use it. I have been considering having my white crepe de chine dyed gray but haven't sent it down yet and it will take a good little while to get that done. Only wish I had it and my taffeta already dyed so I wouldn't have to invest just at the present for I have less than fifty dollars in the bank and that doesn't go far in Texas as it does in Alabama and you know me, Oscar! I had rather not go anywhere than to go looking like Fido. Guess I will dress up in the best looking underwear I have to try to redeem myself. Today is the first time I have touched a typewriter in such an age that all kind of mistakes get mixed up with what is intended to be sense but maybe after several letters of this length have been written my expert stenography will come back to me. I do wish some of you would let me know how Robbie is - the last letter I had from you is the last I have had naturally it worries me so little to know she is so sick and me so far away. Even tho' I couldn't do her much good if I was there it would help my feelings to know how she is. Mrs. Draper's card never has gotten here yet and I think every mail will bring me something but as yet nothing has come. What about Lila and Sara having chills? Sam told me they had written that to him and of course, Mamma is worried. If Sara has another I suppose she will come home for the last I heard from her she was wanting to send a night letter - she was disappointed in not getting a letter this morning. My muscles are so sore from washing white wood work that the least exertion give me great pain, therefore I feel the need of a rest and will have to bob- tail my letter. It is a short one, don't you think? I have never worked as hard in my life as I have for the last week and every muscle feels the effect of it. Give my undying affection to the entire family and let us hear from you at least once more before we get home. As ever, Roberts (Roberta Aurelia Roberts) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/calhoun/history/letters/letteroc40nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/alfiles/ File size: 9.2 Kb