Earlier in this blog, I wrote of the Vick letters that are transcribed and annotated on RootsWeb.
Jack Landers did quite a bit of research on the letters for the Vick descendants.
From what I understand, the original letters are archived in the Special Collections Department of the University of Virginia's Alderman Memorial Library in the "Papers of Amanda Sarah Boyd" collection.
The particular letter below was written by Mary Caroline Boyd Vick, my great-great-great-grandmother and Amanda Boyd's sister. To read more about the letters, go to the Vick section of RootsWeb.
I think one of the most interesting things is that Mary Caroline realizes that there are some things you just shouldn't put in writing. It seems many people today still haven't learned that lesson.
Here's the letter. Mr. Landers added in some punctuation, which I have included in this copy of the letter to make it a little more readable.
Lexington, Texas
Sept. 18th 1870
Dear Sister,
Your kind letter of the seventh of July was gladly received. We are not all
well here. We have all been sick mostly with colds and fever. Old Mrs.
Vick has been down with congestion of the liver but is better. Thomas's
folks have been sick. Judy has congestion of the stomach and brain - but
she is better. The doctor said there was a great deal of sickness on Santone
Prairie. That is about ten or twelve miles from here. Mrs. Perry has
lost most of her school - there was a teacher come here from Miss. And
they stopped to go to him - he was the President of the male Academy in
Miss. Nelly and Chely Sykes is going to Mrs. Perry. John Valentines
wife has a daughter. I have not been over to see her yet. Joe recieved
a letter from Sister the other day and I was glad to hear from all, but
sorry to hear of so many deaths. Where was old aunt Harriet living at?
Della said tell sister to please answer her letter and you to not answer it
to Vicy. It looks like she gets more letters than anybody and don't
write no more than the rest. I think your dresses is pretty. Mr. and
Mrs. Parker was over to see us Saturday. Her baby is so pretty and
fat. Mr. B. Sykes has bought land joining Johnson Perry's. I have picked
1100 lbs of cotton out of my patch and it is ready to pick again. They
are all over their heads picking cotton. They pick from 100 to 250 lbs.
It opens so fast it looks like they never will get it out. We have
beautiful dry weather to gather it in. The association will commence next
Friday. It is about twelve miles from here. Our garden is sorry. It
burnt up. Our potato patch is sorry but we will have plenty to eat.
The ground is too rich for them. Britton Valentine has been quite sick
, but he is better. I have wrote everything I can think of. If I could
see you I could tell you a heap of things that would not do to write. Tell
sister I wrote to her not long ago and for her not to wait as long as I did.
I must close. Write soon and write about everything and everybody. Is
crops as good as they are every year when they have been worked? We hear
different reports about it. I close. Your devoted sister
M.C. Vick
That letter has been saved and cherished by generations of people for almost 140 years. Can we still write such letters today?
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Peaceful Pastime
I don't know about you, but nowadays I often feel overwhelmed with everything that's going on in the world. I'm a journalist, so I'm not blaming the media, but often it's just too much to handle...war, mass murder/suicides, economic woes, salmonella poisoning, and the list goes on and on.
But, last Thursday, our electricity was off at home for almost the entire day. It went off in the middle of our morning rush, after I had fixed breakfast but before I had dried my hair. We lit some candles and finished getting ready. After too many phone calls to the electric company, they finally showed up out on the highway to replace the pole that had broken off at the ground. (Best I can tell, the wildfire the week before had weakened the pole, which was never replaced despite being burned, and then high winds snapped the pole at the ground.)
When the lights went out, instead of creating panic or mayhem in our household, the sudden quietness enveloped our lives in a gentle peace.
Except for our voices, there was total quietness. No TV blaring out the tragic news of the day or the upcoming weather. No radio screeching the latest hits or telling me what they decided at the recent city commissioners' meeting. No hum from the computers. No rumbling or buzzing from the dryer. Things we never realize make noise (coffee pot, lights, etc.) were quiet.
The lack of things to compete with brought down our own level of chaos. No need to yell in order to be heard. No need to rush...there was much less to do. I couldn't dry my hair with the hair dryer; a quick brush would have to do — it would dry on the way to work. I couldn't check e-mail or the blog. Those would have to wait till later. There was no choice.
Letter writing can produce a similar sense of peacefulness. Writing a letter doesn't require electricity, Internet service or much of anything else. All you need is a writing utensil, some paper (sometimes, that's not really necessary -- you can mail a coconut with a message written/carved on it or a wooden postcard), an envelope (again, not really needed -- any piece of paper can be folded into an envelope or self-mailer), a postage stamp, and access to postal service.
Stamps can be ordered by mail (ask at your post office for a form). Depending on where you live, you should be able to drop your letter in a nearby mail box for the postal employee to pick up. Obviously, some places don't have door-to-door mail delivery (see this earlier blog entry), but I think most do.
I'm recommending that you take a few minutes, maybe more, today to sit down, relax and write a letter. Turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Turn off the (yikes!) computer. If it's still daylight and nice weather at your house, take your pen and paper and sit outside to write a letter. Enjoy the peacefulness of reconnecting with an old friend, introducing yourself to a new friend or catching up with family.
But, last Thursday, our electricity was off at home for almost the entire day. It went off in the middle of our morning rush, after I had fixed breakfast but before I had dried my hair. We lit some candles and finished getting ready. After too many phone calls to the electric company, they finally showed up out on the highway to replace the pole that had broken off at the ground. (Best I can tell, the wildfire the week before had weakened the pole, which was never replaced despite being burned, and then high winds snapped the pole at the ground.)
When the lights went out, instead of creating panic or mayhem in our household, the sudden quietness enveloped our lives in a gentle peace.
Except for our voices, there was total quietness. No TV blaring out the tragic news of the day or the upcoming weather. No radio screeching the latest hits or telling me what they decided at the recent city commissioners' meeting. No hum from the computers. No rumbling or buzzing from the dryer. Things we never realize make noise (coffee pot, lights, etc.) were quiet.
The lack of things to compete with brought down our own level of chaos. No need to yell in order to be heard. No need to rush...there was much less to do. I couldn't dry my hair with the hair dryer; a quick brush would have to do — it would dry on the way to work. I couldn't check e-mail or the blog. Those would have to wait till later. There was no choice.
Letter writing can produce a similar sense of peacefulness. Writing a letter doesn't require electricity, Internet service or much of anything else. All you need is a writing utensil, some paper (sometimes, that's not really necessary -- you can mail a coconut with a message written/carved on it or a wooden postcard), an envelope (again, not really needed -- any piece of paper can be folded into an envelope or self-mailer), a postage stamp, and access to postal service.
Stamps can be ordered by mail (ask at your post office for a form). Depending on where you live, you should be able to drop your letter in a nearby mail box for the postal employee to pick up. Obviously, some places don't have door-to-door mail delivery (see this earlier blog entry), but I think most do.
I'm recommending that you take a few minutes, maybe more, today to sit down, relax and write a letter. Turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Turn off the (yikes!) computer. If it's still daylight and nice weather at your house, take your pen and paper and sit outside to write a letter. Enjoy the peacefulness of reconnecting with an old friend, introducing yourself to a new friend or catching up with family.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A reason for writing
And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart,
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
-- From Night Mail by W.H. Auden, written for a 1936 documentary film about the train that brought the mail from England to Scotland
Let not anyone in your life feel forgotten....write a letter today!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Encouraging young letter writers
After I wrote yesterday's post, I got to thinking about how to encourage kids to write letters. Oh, I'm not anti-email or anti-texting...I just think that there's some value to knowing how to write a "real" letter, some joy in receiving a piece of snail mail, some satisfaction in dropping an envelope in a mailbox.
The best way to encourage kids to write letters is to write to them first. Write a letter to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.
Try to make the letters meaningful, something they'll want to keep and re-read. Congratulate them on a recent accomplishment, tell them how proud you are. Then, add in a little something about yourself, maybe mention how you enjoyed playing basketball, too, when you were in school, or maybe how you always struggled with math but that once you took geometry, you really enjoyed it. Ask them some questions, something to reply back to. Maybe ask about their pet or their plans for the summer.
Speaking of replies, one way to encourage the kids you're writing to, to write you back is to send them stationery. With your letter, include a piece of stationery, an envelope addressed to yourself and even a stamp. Find or make some fun note paper and envelopes, depending on the age of the child you're writing to. (See the fun envelopes I made, at left.) Don't forget...stamps can be fun, too! If your local post office doesn't have the ones you want, order them online.
Another way to make letter writing fun is to send postcards from places you visit. You might encourage a new hobby — postcard collecting, stamp collecting, etc. — as well.
Now, go write a letter (or two)!
The best way to encourage kids to write letters is to write to them first. Write a letter to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.
Try to make the letters meaningful, something they'll want to keep and re-read. Congratulate them on a recent accomplishment, tell them how proud you are. Then, add in a little something about yourself, maybe mention how you enjoyed playing basketball, too, when you were in school, or maybe how you always struggled with math but that once you took geometry, you really enjoyed it. Ask them some questions, something to reply back to. Maybe ask about their pet or their plans for the summer.
Speaking of replies, one way to encourage the kids you're writing to, to write you back is to send them stationery. With your letter, include a piece of stationery, an envelope addressed to yourself and even a stamp. Find or make some fun note paper and envelopes, depending on the age of the child you're writing to. (See the fun envelopes I made, at left.) Don't forget...stamps can be fun, too! If your local post office doesn't have the ones you want, order them online. Another way to make letter writing fun is to send postcards from places you visit. You might encourage a new hobby — postcard collecting, stamp collecting, etc. — as well.
Now, go write a letter (or two)!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My worries and an update
As I'm writing these letters and sending them out, I include a little note with each letter that lets the recipient know about this project and this blog. But, then, I get a little worried that my friends and/or family members are going to think that I'm only writing to them because of the project.
In fact, it's the other way around. I'm doing the project because of my commitment to keep in touch with my friends and family.
It seems that every late-December, early January, I vow to write more letters, send more cards in the coming year. And, I may get a letter or two sent off, and then everyday life gets in the way and my letter writing tapers off.
I think about these people all the time, wondering what ever happened to friends from elementary school or the old Girl Scout troop. I may even make an effort to track some of them down, using all sorts of Internet resources to try and figure out married names and current addresses. But, I usually fail to write the letters. I just never get around to it.
So, I thought that by setting a definite goal, making it trackable and making it public, I would be more motivated to stay on task. I worry that some of my "old" friends are going to think, "Carla hasn't contacted me in years, now she's just writing to me to meet her 365 goal." I worry about that, but I hope that somehow they'll know that it's not that way at all. I've been planning to write the letters for years, often working out the details of the never-sent letters in my mind as I drive to work.
From my perspective, it's working. I'm getting letters written and sent out, and the replies are starting to come in. I'm in touch with people I haven't heard from in years, except for an occasional Christmas card.
As far as the project itself is going, I'm on track. I'll send out the 34th letter today. And, I still have a long list of people I plan to write letters to!
Won't you join me in my project...write a letter today!
In fact, it's the other way around. I'm doing the project because of my commitment to keep in touch with my friends and family.
It seems that every late-December, early January, I vow to write more letters, send more cards in the coming year. And, I may get a letter or two sent off, and then everyday life gets in the way and my letter writing tapers off.
I think about these people all the time, wondering what ever happened to friends from elementary school or the old Girl Scout troop. I may even make an effort to track some of them down, using all sorts of Internet resources to try and figure out married names and current addresses. But, I usually fail to write the letters. I just never get around to it.
So, I thought that by setting a definite goal, making it trackable and making it public, I would be more motivated to stay on task. I worry that some of my "old" friends are going to think, "Carla hasn't contacted me in years, now she's just writing to me to meet her 365 goal." I worry about that, but I hope that somehow they'll know that it's not that way at all. I've been planning to write the letters for years, often working out the details of the never-sent letters in my mind as I drive to work.
From my perspective, it's working. I'm getting letters written and sent out, and the replies are starting to come in. I'm in touch with people I haven't heard from in years, except for an occasional Christmas card.
As far as the project itself is going, I'm on track. I'll send out the 34th letter today. And, I still have a long list of people I plan to write letters to!
Won't you join me in my project...write a letter today!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Great day for U.S. -- great day for letter writing!
As I write this, CBS is airing schoolchildren reading aloud the letter that Barack Obama wrote to his daughters, Sasha and Malia. The letter can be read in-full at Parade Magazine's Web site.
What a great gift to his daughters! When you read the letter, you'll see that he discusses current events, as well as his own personal life and history, and what he expects and hopes for their future together. He gives them some guidelines for how he hopes that they'll lead their lives, and he tells them how proud he is of them.
I hope that parents all over the world will take a cue from the new U.S. President and write a letter to their own children. Write a letter; slip it under their pillow or drop it in the mailbox so they'll get a wonderful envelope to open! Share yourself with your children in a way that they will be able to cherish forever.
Other letters that were mentioned in the news today include the letter that outgoing President Bush wrote to incoming President Obama and the letter that Bush's daughters, Barbara and Jenna wrote to Obama's daughters with advice about being the daughters of the president. They offered advice about friends, puppies and sliding down the banister in the White House.
How wonderful that letter writing has taken such a spotlight on this historic day!
What a great gift to his daughters! When you read the letter, you'll see that he discusses current events, as well as his own personal life and history, and what he expects and hopes for their future together. He gives them some guidelines for how he hopes that they'll lead their lives, and he tells them how proud he is of them.
I hope that parents all over the world will take a cue from the new U.S. President and write a letter to their own children. Write a letter; slip it under their pillow or drop it in the mailbox so they'll get a wonderful envelope to open! Share yourself with your children in a way that they will be able to cherish forever.
Other letters that were mentioned in the news today include the letter that outgoing President Bush wrote to incoming President Obama and the letter that Bush's daughters, Barbara and Jenna wrote to Obama's daughters with advice about being the daughters of the president. They offered advice about friends, puppies and sliding down the banister in the White House.
How wonderful that letter writing has taken such a spotlight on this historic day!
Friday, January 9, 2009
10 Reasons to Write a Letter
1. It's personal — The recipient of your letter knows that not only did you think about him or her but that you took the time to sit down, put pen to paper and record your thoughts.
2. It's personalized — You can choose a card or stationery and envelope that matches your personality. If there's no stationery that matches you, you can make your own!
3. It's lasting — Oh sure, lots of people save e-mails, but who actually pulls them out of the archives and reads them again? Letters can be saved and cherished for generations.
4. It can be romantic — Spritz a little perfume on the paper, tuck in a wildflower from that bouquet he picked for last summer, end it with Xs and Ox....
5. It's cheap — A piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp and a pen, and you have something that the recipient will treasure forever.
6. It's controlled — There's no chance you'll accidentally send a handwritten letter to everyone in your address book, like you can mistakenly do with e-mail.
7. It lets you spread good news — The economy, the war, crime...the news can be so depressing these days. A letter from you gives your recipient some good news for a change. Tell him or her how your kids are doing in school, that you saw a bluebird in the front yard yesterday, even just that you thought of them today. It'll brighten their day!
8. It's tangible — A letter can be held, carried around, slipped under a pillow, re-read at the coffee shop. Oh, I know about Blackberries and other ways of reading e-mail in the coffee shop, but it's not the same. Trust me. It's not the same.
9. Technology won't make it obsolete — I can read the handwritten letters that my great-great-great-grandmother wrote to my great-great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. Will your great-great-great-grandchildren be able to read your e-mails in 100 years? I'll bet they'll still be able to read your hand-written letters, though!
10. It takes time — This means there are fewer chances for you to say something you don't mean. More time for you to say the right thing, to say it the way you really want to say it. A well-thought letter shows you took time for the recipient.
Now, what reasons do you have for writing a letter? Share them with us in the comments section!
By the way, I stayed on schedule and wrote my eighth letter last night.
2. It's personalized — You can choose a card or stationery and envelope that matches your personality. If there's no stationery that matches you, you can make your own!
3. It's lasting — Oh sure, lots of people save e-mails, but who actually pulls them out of the archives and reads them again? Letters can be saved and cherished for generations.
4. It can be romantic — Spritz a little perfume on the paper, tuck in a wildflower from that bouquet he picked for last summer, end it with Xs and Ox....
5. It's cheap — A piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp and a pen, and you have something that the recipient will treasure forever.
6. It's controlled — There's no chance you'll accidentally send a handwritten letter to everyone in your address book, like you can mistakenly do with e-mail.
7. It lets you spread good news — The economy, the war, crime...the news can be so depressing these days. A letter from you gives your recipient some good news for a change. Tell him or her how your kids are doing in school, that you saw a bluebird in the front yard yesterday, even just that you thought of them today. It'll brighten their day!
8. It's tangible — A letter can be held, carried around, slipped under a pillow, re-read at the coffee shop. Oh, I know about Blackberries and other ways of reading e-mail in the coffee shop, but it's not the same. Trust me. It's not the same.
9. Technology won't make it obsolete — I can read the handwritten letters that my great-great-great-grandmother wrote to my great-great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. Will your great-great-great-grandchildren be able to read your e-mails in 100 years? I'll bet they'll still be able to read your hand-written letters, though!
10. It takes time — This means there are fewer chances for you to say something you don't mean. More time for you to say the right thing, to say it the way you really want to say it. A well-thought letter shows you took time for the recipient.
Now, what reasons do you have for writing a letter? Share them with us in the comments section!
By the way, I stayed on schedule and wrote my eighth letter last night.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
One week down, 51 more to go
I wrote my seventh letter of the new year last night. That's seven letters in seven days, so I'm right on track.
I've been anxiously awaiting a response from any of my letter recipients. I didn't tell anyone about this project before I started sending out the letters, but I've included a little note with each letter, letting them know about this blog.
Last night, I received my first response — an e-mail from my sister, letting me know that my niece was happy to get the letter. They were excited to find out about the project and blog.
So, it's a good start, so far!
I've been anxiously awaiting a response from any of my letter recipients. I didn't tell anyone about this project before I started sending out the letters, but I've included a little note with each letter, letting them know about this blog.
Last night, I received my first response — an e-mail from my sister, letting me know that my niece was happy to get the letter. They were excited to find out about the project and blog.
So, it's a good start, so far!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Cheating? I don't think so!
Yesterday's letter, I wrote to my daughter.
At first, I wondered if that would be cheating. She's only 8 years old, and she lives in the same house that I do.
But, then, I thought, no, it's not cheating. She received some good news yesterday — she was asked to be on the school's color guard, helping to raise and lower the United States flag outside the building every day. We're very proud of her for that achievement, and I wanted to let her know in a special way.
So, I wrote her a letter. A letter that I mailed to her.
She likes getting mail. Don't we all? It's so exciting to see an envelope with our name on it, sitting there in the mail box. But, we don't get much mail nowadays. We get e-mail, for which the computer voice announces "You have mail," but there's rarely a hand-addressed envelope in the mailbox.
Plus, my daughter will be able to keep this letter, maybe even put it in her scrapbook, and years later remember the honor and how proud we were of her.
At first, I wondered if that would be cheating. She's only 8 years old, and she lives in the same house that I do.
But, then, I thought, no, it's not cheating. She received some good news yesterday — she was asked to be on the school's color guard, helping to raise and lower the United States flag outside the building every day. We're very proud of her for that achievement, and I wanted to let her know in a special way.
So, I wrote her a letter. A letter that I mailed to her.
She likes getting mail. Don't we all? It's so exciting to see an envelope with our name on it, sitting there in the mail box. But, we don't get much mail nowadays. We get e-mail, for which the computer voice announces "You have mail," but there's rarely a hand-addressed envelope in the mailbox.
Plus, my daughter will be able to keep this letter, maybe even put it in her scrapbook, and years later remember the honor and how proud we were of her.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Runs in the family
My letter writing project has inspired my 8-year-old daughter. She's been asking lots of questions about letter writing, and she's been writing letters lately. Ever since she's known how to write, she has written letters, but with my new project underway, she's started writing more.
I don't think she'll be able to keep up with one a day, but she's having fun. She decorates the envelopes, even making some on her own. And, she makes her own notecards. So far, she hasn't received any responses, at least not from her little third-grade friends. In the past, she's exchanged letters with my aunt.
Maybe her letters will encourage her friends to pick up this old-fashioned practice!
I don't think she'll be able to keep up with one a day, but she's having fun. She decorates the envelopes, even making some on her own. And, she makes her own notecards. So far, she hasn't received any responses, at least not from her little third-grade friends. In the past, she's exchanged letters with my aunt.
Maybe her letters will encourage her friends to pick up this old-fashioned practice!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Family Tradition
Letter writing was always an important part of our family communications. Up until e-mail was invented. But, I suppose it was that way with most families.
One thing that makes our family's letter writing even more interesting is that the people in my family, especially the women, are savers. That means we save everything, including letters. So, I have many of those letters or copies of those letters to rely on for family history information.
The oldest letter that I know of from one of my direct ancestors was written in 1869. I don't have the original letter, or even a copy of it, but I do have typed transcriptions and interpretations of the letter. There are four other letters that I know of, with the last one written in 1871.
The letters are from Mary Caroline Boyd Vick, my great-great-great-grandmother. She married Littleberry (or Little Berry) Fletcher Vick, and they came with several other relatives to Texas from Mississippi. Along that trip and after having settled in Texas, Mary and several of the others wrote letters to the folks back in Mississippi. Thankfully, from my point of view, those Mississippians saved the letters.
She was writing from their camp at Caldwell, Texas, which is just a few miles from Lexington, Texas, where they eventually settled, at least for a while. The family ended up in Stephens County, Texas, where my family and I now live.
Mary Caroline's grammar leaves a little to be desired, but she asks her sister to overlook the mistakes since she is writing from the swamps and is watching over the "brigade," presumably her kids.
She tells about the mules and wagons being stuck in the marsh and not able to cross a creek. "We have had hard times but no worse than I expected," she wrote.
I don't know where the original letters are, and I've never even seen a photocopy of the originals, just typed versions. Still, the information they contain is priceless. It gives me such a wonderful glimpse into the lives of my ancestors that I wouldn't have if the letters had never been written or hadn't been saved.
The letters can be read online at www.rootsweb.com. Go to the Mailing List section and search out the "Vick" section. Then, look in the archives in 2001, starting in about June. The letters continue, month after month, through most of that year.
This is one reason why I like to write "real" letters. Who knows how many e-mail letters I've already lost through the years. But, I still have most of the pen and paper letters. Hopefully, someday in the far away future, some descendant of mine will find my collection of letters as fascinating as I find Mary Caroline's letters.
One thing that makes our family's letter writing even more interesting is that the people in my family, especially the women, are savers. That means we save everything, including letters. So, I have many of those letters or copies of those letters to rely on for family history information.
The oldest letter that I know of from one of my direct ancestors was written in 1869. I don't have the original letter, or even a copy of it, but I do have typed transcriptions and interpretations of the letter. There are four other letters that I know of, with the last one written in 1871.
The letters are from Mary Caroline Boyd Vick, my great-great-great-grandmother. She married Littleberry (or Little Berry) Fletcher Vick, and they came with several other relatives to Texas from Mississippi. Along that trip and after having settled in Texas, Mary and several of the others wrote letters to the folks back in Mississippi. Thankfully, from my point of view, those Mississippians saved the letters.
She was writing from their camp at Caldwell, Texas, which is just a few miles from Lexington, Texas, where they eventually settled, at least for a while. The family ended up in Stephens County, Texas, where my family and I now live.
Mary Caroline's grammar leaves a little to be desired, but she asks her sister to overlook the mistakes since she is writing from the swamps and is watching over the "brigade," presumably her kids.
She tells about the mules and wagons being stuck in the marsh and not able to cross a creek. "We have had hard times but no worse than I expected," she wrote.
I don't know where the original letters are, and I've never even seen a photocopy of the originals, just typed versions. Still, the information they contain is priceless. It gives me such a wonderful glimpse into the lives of my ancestors that I wouldn't have if the letters had never been written or hadn't been saved.
The letters can be read online at www.rootsweb.com. Go to the Mailing List section and search out the "Vick" section. Then, look in the archives in 2001, starting in about June. The letters continue, month after month, through most of that year.
This is one reason why I like to write "real" letters. Who knows how many e-mail letters I've already lost through the years. But, I still have most of the pen and paper letters. Hopefully, someday in the far away future, some descendant of mine will find my collection of letters as fascinating as I find Mary Caroline's letters.
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