April 1871
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 4, 1871
The other day we went to church at Olive Branch. It is a log church, the first I have ever been in. The women sit on one side of the church the men on the other. Nearly all the women wore sunbonnets. I dont see how they can hear with them on. The P. O. is a mile from here. I walked over for the mail, and was rewarded with three letters. One from sister Mary. How good she is to write to me so regularly.
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Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 7, 1871
Fine day. The peaches have bloomed, now the pears and cherries ct. are in bloom. The soil does not seem as fertile here as farther north. This end of Ill. is called Egypt. They have such odd names for places around here. Hard to find—Deadhog— Greasy—Foggy—Possum-point—ct. Cousin Sallie put water in the ash hopper, and a few days later, when she had lye enough, she made pretzels or is it Bretzels? They were excellent. I always supposed they had to be made in a factory. One Sunday we were to a Presbyterian church—some miles away. Part of the road led through low land and as the buggy—(The cousins have a top buggy which is great luxury out west) jolted over a strip of corduroy road, I noticed rose canes among the tangled underbrush by the road side, and asked what color the flowers were. Cousin Jim said he had never noticed, and when I asked the name of a shrub with a yellow fringe of bloom, he said, “I cant tell you, really I only know the name of one flower.” “What is that,” I asked. Then he could not remember it. How we did laugh, but we laughed more yet, when some time later he said, “I remember now, it is the Johny jump up.”
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Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 9, 1871
We went to the log church this p.m. The people seem devout. There was a good lesson in the sermon. A woman, and a child two or three years old, sat in front of me. The boy wore leather boots. They stood up when they sang, and the boy stood on the bench, and refreshed himself from the maternal fount. Why not? The days go by so fast. We visit, and sew. I made a dress for cousin Sallie, and wrote many letters.
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Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 12, 1871
Tomorrow I leave Luken Prairie where I have had such a pleasant visit. The cousins urge me to stay longer, but I think I will hear from brother Philip, and for that reason am anxious to get back to Red Oak Shelter. The weather is delightful.
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Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 18, 1871
Cousin Jim took me to Bridgeport, reached Vinenness at 1 p. m. Missed connections and had to wait until 7 p. m. When I studied about this old French town, I little thought I would ever be stranded there six hours. When 7 p. m. came, I had walked around the town, sat on the bank of the Wabash, read all the love stories in Harpers Magazine, and embroidered a little. Spent the night in Terre Haut, and had another long wait at Green Castle, from 8-30 to 1 p. m. “What cant be cured must be endured.” I tried to wait patiently. There was timber near the depot, and the red wood or red bud was in bloom. I sat there and read and embroidered, so the time did not seem so long.
At LaFayette waited another two hours—and finily reached W. Glad to get back to Red Oak Shelter where I found several letters waiting for me.
Brother Philip wrote his address is Wichita Kans. He had spent the winter in Kans. and Indian Territory. He says he knows nothing about schools, but if I want to come west, I can take up Government Land, and after living on it six months, can prove up on it by paying $1 1/4 an acre for it. He took up a claim some time ago, and if I go—I can stay with him, his house is almost finished. I am only to take heavy strong clothing, and what ever I will want for a bed. The rout is via Quincy— Kansas City, Topeka, Emporia—There a stage runs to Wichita, where he will meet me, or 20 miles to Ninnescaw River, on the old Texas trail. If I decide to go, I shall do so at once. Brother says he would go with me, but his men are plowing with five teams, and another planting corn, so he cant leave now. I wonder what mother will say, when she hears I am going to Kansas.
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Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 24, 1871
I wrote to Philip at once, that I would leave here the 25th. That will give the letter a weeks start of me. These have been busy days. Now my trunk is packed, It would not hold all— so a pillow with an army blanket was reaped on top. I will carry my big brown basket, with lunch and toilet belongings ct. and two shawls, beside my wrap. All ready to leave early in the morning.
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