Dear Daddy – The Farm Letters

Dear James,

We got the mail box and washboard yesterday. Thanks a lot. We must sound like a lot of beggars to you, always begging for something but we’ll get along nicely now. We had another rain early this morning. About 4:30 I heard the storm coming and got the windows in and the pans located in time. Now I have the boiler on and a big wash to do.

I put the mail box up as soon as it came. It may be a little bunglesome but it will do until you come. Jenson has put up 19 loads of alfalfa. The corn looks fine. They were cultivating near the house yesterday and John was out watching them most of the afternoon and brought them some drinking water. You mustn’t spend all the money on us. If we ask for too much let me know. I haven’t much news today. We’ll write every other day from now on. Give us the news about everyone when you write.

With love,

Martha

Dear James,

At last your letters came thru! Sat. we got 2 letters, the magazines and the pkg. from the Park Rapids mailman, and one letter from Nevis. We were pretty worried about not hearing from you, I can tell you. I left my first letter to you in Jenson’s box but the Nevis mailman took the others from our box. The Park Rapids mailman said we have to get a regulation mailbox and it was on the wrong side of the road for him, so I told him we are going to get our mail from Nevis. The Nevis man will leave the mail if we are out there to take it. He said after July 6th we have to pay 3 cents postage on letters.

I am glad you got home all right and got the children’s school things. I also found the fish scaler and have enough blue cloth for the kitchen curtains. The turnips and radishes are up in the garden and the corn is several inches high. The rhubarb you transplanted is doing nicely. We had a dandy rain Friday afternoon, although we almost drowned in the house. We had pans sitting around all over, but the beds, clothing and cupboard didn’t get wet. The curtain I made reaches across the bed, so we have a little privacy in dressing and bathing. I have curtains at all of the windows except the one by the stove, and a curtain over the bookcase and the blue curtains over the cupboard and it really looks quite cozy. I’d like so much to paint the floor. I like it more here every day and I think we’ll get along with everybody as soon as they get used to our being here.

Today being Sunday we did not work, but took a long walk thru the woods. It looks as tho some one had cut timber last winter. I think we shall have to stay here right along.

I wish we had a dog. Mrs. Jenson brought the milk over Sat. night and walked right in before we knew she was near. We are getting low on sugar. I still have $1.75 left besides the piano fund. I have bought eggs and the groceries I ordered cost $1.00. Send John’s shoes and overalls as soon as you can. If you see house slippers at either Power’s or the Home Trade or Family Shoe Store get me a pair of size 6, or a pair of bedroom slippers. I am on my feet so much a change would be a rest and I have a bad corn too.

We found 2 nice young Norway Pines on our walk this morning and a great big brown owl, and 4 lady slippers growing in a group under the pines. We followed an old road from the middle of the South side to the S.W. corner of the buckwheat field. We found a few wild strawberries. The corn looks fine and a lot of it is over John’s waist and the buckwheat is big too. Jensen’s have cut their alfalfa and were cultivating the corn on Thursday. I wish this crop was ours and you had a tractor and a few cows and chickens and pigs. We could build another room to match this one in front and get along until we could build a new house. I had to leave off cleaning up the yard for a few days, my hands got so sore. We need a rake and hoe. We are piling the big brush back of the pump and the little stuff we throw in the dump.

The cat has been finding a lot of mice in the straw piles. We have read halfway thru the book already, [Thirty-one Years on the Plains and in the Mountains] taking turns. Remember to tell the children what you bought for your birthday presents and address the letters to them sometimes. They are real helpful and I try to see that they have plenty to do all the time so they won’t be lonesome. We had a ball game this afternoon.

Can you send us some fresh fruits and vegetables? A neighbor got a box of fresh strawberries by mail. I’d like to start a bed of berries this fall. I think there is money in it and truck gardening too, especially with a hot bed or even a green house. I am sure if we work hard, with the children to help us we could make good here.

We have made out nicely with the wood so far. The wood box is always filled once a day and we have some wood in the old house. That is what John means by stores. Ruth carried most of the pile inside just before it rained.

I meant you to take the woolen blanket back with you. There are no other quilts. You had better buy one of those blankets you were telling me about. I hope you can come up for the 4th but if not, make it as soon as you can. We’d like it lots better if you were here.

Send us some kind of cured meat, summer sausage, bologna, or frankfurters or bacon or a little ham. Remember the mortgage the first of August. We don’t need much money up here.

Lots of love,

Martha