Fairfield Monday
Nov the 10, 1877

Miss Sallie Robinson & Mary Bonner
Dear Sister & Cousin

I have postponed
answering your letters until now.
As I was very busy the first of
last week  I thought it would do 
to let them remain until the
last of the week.  Sister Jane was
down last week.  She came on 
Monday and stayed until Friday 
& I went home with her and stayed
until yesterday.  Mr. Mc?duly
preached yesterday.  Every one liked
him very much.  Mary I saw your
Mama & Aunt Belle & children at 
our Uncle Jonnies on Saturday.  They
were all looking well and hearty.

[page 2]

Cousin Mollie had a fine
turkey for us & Janie had one
yesterday.  Cousin Mollie says she
does not live to have preachers sitting
in the house all the time. Mr. Mcbaty?
and Mr. Nesbit are down here this
week.  I was glad to hear that you
were having such a nice time
eating ribs and backbones.
We have killed nearly all of our
hogs and have made some of the 
nicest sausage.  The[y] have had the
nicest weather for saving meat
I ever saw.  We have had frost
and ice for nearly two weeks every
day.  It is very pleasant now.
I am sorry to inform you that
Mrs. Powel is very sick.  She was
taken on Saturday.  I was over
there this morning and Mama 
has gone over now.  Mama had 
Neuralgia in her eyes very badly

[page 3]

last week, but they are a great
deal better.  Papa complaines of
Rhumatism in his shoulders nearly
all the time.  I learned that ?annie
H. (that was) came home yesterday
for the first time.  Mr. Fryar[?]
has been quite sick.  Mrs. Tom Jones
took dinner at Jane's yesterday, and  
she was telling us that it was a 
positive fact that Mr. Frank Willard, Wirt
and Mary Slone were going to mar-
ry on the 18 of this month &     *A*
Cousin Billie Bonner and this
Lizzie Sessions on the same
day.  I have not heard of any 
weddings around Fairfield.  You
asked who the Recorder ment when allusion
was made about a certain young
man having an addition but [i.e., put] 
to his house.  It was Mr. Clark
but I don't know whom the 
lady is.

[page 4]
[Note - the first six lines of page 4 are really the 
end of the letter]

You all are looking forward to 
Christmas as a time of much 
enjoyment.  I am in hopes you 
will not be disappointed.  Sallie
Mama says she is sorry she can 
not send you the present she
promised as the distance is too
great, but she will get you some-
thing nice yet.  I received a very [nice] 
present the other day.  guess what 
it was.  It was a large candy
pear, presented by Young Bonner.
It looks so natural that I want to 
eat it.  It is as large as both of a
man's fists.  I hear very little talk 
of Christmas.  They are speaking of
having a Christmas tree out at
Stewards Mill & one at Birdston.
I don't know whether they will 
have one here or not.

[First six lines of page 4 moved to end]
As I have written all the news I
ou[gh]t to quit.  Cousin Mollie let me
read a letter from Katie Pressley, it was
the saddest thing I ever read.  She had
just lost her little baby.  Giving much love
to all, I will close. Yours in love.  Lizzie.


*A* = But Franklin Willard married Elizabeth Ann Summers