Date(s) Created: 1864-1882

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Status: OK Status By: Mary Voss Status Date: 2009-10-19

Source: https://archive.sdhistoricalsociety.org/publications/NLHist/P256-259.php Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 256-259 Letters from a Saugatuck Pastor 's Wife Friday morn, June 17, 1872 Dear sisters Hattie & Lillie, Your last welcome letter heralding the package reached us safely tue. eve. and the huge package itself appeared on Wednes. eve. brought down in the maternal arms of the "Aunt Betsey" our little Allegan steamer. We were much surprised at its size and half inclined to think your two families had concluded to move here and this was the first installment of your goods being the contents of your wardrobes and Mr. Mill's store combined. (Back Again) I had not finished this last sentence ere I was startled by a vehement outcry from under the bed clothes of my room. Of course this call must be heeded. Little nameless is now made ready for the day and is snugly tucked away in the same nest again as I must wash the sitting room windows while she takes her morning nap. We are almost distracted with work both present and anticipated, until after the Fourth. James spend all day yesterday looking round Dutchtown for a new milch cow. Saw several transparencies he calls them, you could see through them, but made no purchase. Must be off today in another direction. There is to be a grand celebration here on "the Fourth" and the S. Schools are to have some part in it. James and I are anxious for a nice Banner for ours if possible by that time. We did intend to have gone to Chicago last Monday, but a stormy week has prevented. Then our people always sell refreshments for church purposes. James has just left a log of practical selections to be looked over from which to make selections for the next S. School concert. July 3. This is to be patriotic in its character, a difficult subject for young children. He selects the Scripture recitations and helps what he can about the others. Our last concert was very interesting indeed. The Scripture word was flowers and the church was full of them both cultivated and wild. James and the children went up to the "bayou" and Willie found a most beautiful specimen of the pink lady's slipper. James managed to get this up, by the roots, with his jack knife and we had it in full bloom in the church. It is now growing by the front gate. I recited "The Morning Glory" that beautiful piece with which you are doubtless familiar. It is so touching that James said many eyes moistened. If you have not seen it, I will copy it for you. James wishes this letter, many, many thanks for all the nice presents. The lines Lillie copied are very beautiful, many thanks. Willie accepts the primer from Grandma as a birthday present, has read it through nearly. He has ague hanging about him again as have I. Mother's book says "When the old woman, first did wake She began to shiver, and she began to shake. She began to wonder and she began to cry. Lord a mercy on me, this can't be I" yours, Mary --- Saugatuck, June 3, 1873 Dear sister Hattie: This sultry morning reminds me that the summer days are really coming again and I must awake from my sluggishness to prepare for its toils. The Spring has been so cold and tardy that it seems as though for this year one season had dropped out of the calendar. How many things I wish to say but where can I find either the leisure or the strength. The Winter has been one of great severity, almost uninterrupted storms and clouds. Now it seems delightful to feel the sunshine again although a little too fierce for absolute comfort. The town is alive with measles. This disease has not appeared here before for many years, so that all the children who are natives of this place are liable to an attack. Willie is now down with them and Gracie shows so many symptoms of them that I have taken her from school. Mabel is trotting around playing in the dirt as brown as a little Gipsey. She was very closely housed during the Winter and Spring as her lungs were so sensitive that she could not bear the sharp winds. James and I cannot recover from the fatigue of the fire relief work which although nearly a year, is not yet quite finished. Both my mind and body have been so overtaxed since my return from Penn Yan that I feel as though I am unfit for anything. Last Summer and winter we all worked very hard to earn funds to finish paying for the parsonage and to repair the church building. We are now working off a debt on the Cabinet Organ. There are so few of us to bear all the burdens of Church work that we feel many times as though we cannot endure it another moment through such excessive physical fatigue. Now as to home matters. This is the season that at least Mother and Lillie and you are to spend with us, is it not? We are planning to go out to the farm about the fast week in July and to spend most of the time there during the long vacation. I shall take my girl Anna with me and the children have the freedom of those pleasant field and woodlands and beach. James and Harm (our village hired man) will run the parsonage during this period and the children will come into town once a week to take their music lessons. There is but a very little of the Ague here now and the air on the Lake shore is very pure and sweet. I do not think you would run any risk of sickness, there, more than in any place. Besides all this, we have an excellent physician now, a member of our church and well skilled in his profession., I am trying to make a new rag carpet for my parlor and stairs here, so that the old one here, can be put down on the floor of the farm parlor. I think this job is more than half done. I have colored black, red, tan color, green, blue, orange and yellow. Have made a great deal of soap this Spring, both soft and hard. Must suspend house cleaning on account of the measles. We have set out a new apple orchard on the farm of about 50 trees, also about SO pear trees, a few peach trees and more than a hundred grape vines. Also more than a hundred poplars as a screen from the lake winds. We have also set out 100 Norway Spruce trees here to be removed there at some subsequent time. These are very small yet but are going nicely. We want you to come out and rusticate in the true sense of the word and enjoy this lovely spot with us. You must bring your planish clothes with only a few articles for church and calling. We intend to live out doors under the cool maple and beach trees. The apple and peach trees promise some fruit and our fine town garden always furnishes us with the vegetables of the season. I think you would enjoy this change far more than to go to the sea shore. We had a rare opportunity to purchase a new Mason and Hambin Organ at a greatly reduced prize a few weeks since so Lillie need not grow rusty on her music. We want you to come out and help name the farm, mark out the carriage drive &c &c Gracie and Willie are doing very well in their studies, but the school is now much interrupted by measles. If you can come please write to me immediately so that I can know how to plan. Ship building is now one of the industries of the place. Although this letter is addressed to you it is meant equally for Mother and Lillie Gracie said, "Tell Aunt Hattie if you wants one of us, she must come out here and make her choice." Our farm man, John Eising is a jewel. He is a bachelor, kept bachelor's hall on a farm 5 years in Holland before coming to America. We do all of his work that can be done here such as baking, washing, mending, &c &c The farm is in very poor repair and needs refencing, but can be made very valuable and pleasant after a while. It is not in a condition to be rented out on shares yet. We pay him by the month. Gracie has taken music lessons one quarter. She learns very readily and seems inclined to play with expression somewhat naturally. Mabel sings some pieces like a lark. She calls the little organ hers. We have not yet offered this for sale. Have not had time to brush it up yet. Our new organ is not all payed for yet. That is, Mr. Wallin advanced some for us. The children's music ran off from the four octave inst. so much, that we wished to secure a larger one. I can and try not to feel annoyed by the dirt and confusion. We have just cleaned out our flower beds and walks. Cannot pay much attention to flowers this season. The cold winter destroyed some choice plants out doors. but we have many left. Life flies. Pioneers live almost wholly for the succeeding generation. Your Mary --- Farm, July 24 - [1873] Dear sister Hattie, It is very early morn. The sun is scarcely up. I am sitting m the children's swing with the beech trees close by the cottage. Whichever way I set the lake is in view - if in one side, an unobstructed view, with here and there a white sail on the horizon, if on the other side just a little snatch of its grey waters between orchard and forest trees. The breeze is fresh, the wild birds jubilant. The whole landscape glorious, a fit original for a lovely painting. The songsters here are numerous, very tame, singing a11 day long. Your kind letter and beautiful presents reached me Sat. eve. as was out here and James was so hurried that he could not get them out to me sooner. Monday was an intensely busy day with its large washing, many berries to pick, house to be put in order for James keeping during the week &c &c Late Mon. eve we all came out here again. Luca and Anna and I just flew all day with an enormous ironing and so many preparations for James and the carpenter who worked here all day yesterday hanging doors, repairing window sash, putting down base boards &c &c The house was very poor indeed when we took the place but by our own labor mostly in little intervals of time, it is now quite comfortable. of course, it lacks many things for convenience sake but then when at any moment we can lift the window shade and admit such an enchanting view, what care we for bare walls and unpainted ceilings. the children enjoy it here very much indeed except little Mabel who is sometime restive because she cannot see her papa every day. I must hasten as our man John is going to Douglas immediately after breakfast to meet James there. I must send this by him. The children are entirely well since they had the measles. Their lungs were so much affected by them that we have at times felt quite anxious about the result. Mabel's hard cough is wearing away slowly I think and the other children are better. The day after I last wrote you I came down with a hard chill followed by several others and attended with a most distressing cough. This lasted me several weeks and wore me out fast. I think it was somewhat sympathetic with the children as they were then in the midst of their measles. As soon as the children were better our man Harm had an attack of billious fever just in the hurry of strawberry picking. James and I picked all the berries and recd. $50.00 for what we sold. We ate freely and gave away generously as we always do. Gracie is delighted with the embroidery. Please return many thanks to "E.W." for his generous kindness and excellent taste. My shawl pleases me very much indeed. Do not spend your money for us. We are very thankful for the little things which you lay aside, but do not send any more new things. I want you to be out of debt. Man ready goodbye. Mary --- Mon. morn. Nov. 22 [1873] My dear sister Hattie; Your letter reached us two or three days since, but 1 have not been able to secure one moment's time in which to reply. We had one hundred and sixteen bushels of turnips freezing up in the ground at the farm and our cider for vinegar freezing in the cheese two miles beyond. The weather is becoming severely cold and we are not prepared for winter. The turnips, cider and sundry other things are now secured. In regard to Auburndale, we have recd a barrel from Miss Strong's class, as she proposed. this contained some very good garments which will help much on the children's' wardrobe when made over. I have not time to go into details in reference to this place. Of course business is very much depressed everywhere and most of the people are obliged to practice the closest economy to meet the necessities of life. The Church is by far the noblest one with which we have ever labored and we do not have any desire to leave them at present because of their poverty. It is composed of a very heroic band of men and women. We feel very grateful to you all, and especially to Mrs. Long for your continued interest in us but do not feel that it would be right for your Society to labor for us when we are so able and so willing to labor for ourselves. Pluck is a western phrase which is replete with meaning and which is rapidly become more emphatic. The children have not been in school this term and I have much sewing to do for them. I do wish to have them commence next week when the term opens. The boy's sleeping room is the worst inconvenience about the house especially in winter. It is an old shanty not near as warm as our new onion barn. I keep a rag carpet hung up back of the bed and all of the cracks closed up with oakum. In extreme weather like last winter they require an immense amount of bedding. I furnish lodgings for eight persons, besides the transient guest. Our salary is seven hundred dollars - one hundred of which we rec. from the H. M. S. Hitherto this year we have recd but one draft of $25.00 from the Soc. as it is embarrassed. The remainder will doubtless come in time. The Douglas people failed to meet their promise. they have owed us $80.00 for more than a year. Of this we shall probably never rec. one cent. We expect to do without it. This was due to inefficiency on the part of the collectors. There is no organization there. James does not preach over the river now. He has more than he can do on this side. Have been very much engrossed by day and night with a sick and dying child about Gracie's age. She was buried in one of Gracie's little chemises, not the nice one you sent but a neat plainer one. the mother of one of our young lady members is insane, I fear hopelessly so. It is distressing to hear her rave. We get along very well indeed and are not probably much more over-worked than you P. Yan people though our labor is sometimes of a different kind. Love to all ---

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 264-267 Tue. morn. Jan. 13, 1874 Dear sister Hattie; I have retreated to the study, but have little hope of being uninterrupted for any length of time. How these intensely busy days speed on and wear our lives away. I am so tired of the unending bustle and hurry which so much business involves. We have been passing through great trials in our little church and Sabbath school. Our S. School was more reduced by sickness this summer than ever before, since we came here. First came the measles into almost every family. Before the children were strong again after recovering from this - bilious attacks prevailed followed in some cases by that tedious distressing disease - ague. So when the winter approached we had much more exertion to make than we usually do to gather back the scattered members of the school. Many of the poorer ones needed assistance to clothing. The money market is very stringent here this winter and we have been obliged to do so much with our own hands that we are all tired - in the extreme. While we were so actively engaged in our preparations for Christmas the first heavy blow fell. The Saturday night before Christmas Mrs. Wallin, our most active lady member by far, was attacked at midnight with congestion of the heart. It was with great difficulty that her life was preserved. Mr. Wallin was absent in Chicago. Lizzie had just returned home from Olivet to pass the holidays. Mon morn. about nine o'clock, their oldest son, Alfred, a very bright, manly boy, was drowned while skating. This was a crushing blow, to his poor mother. Lillie visited at Mr. Wallin's while here. He is the proprietor of the large steam tannery here. The firm has leather stores in Chicago, Salt Lake and San Francisco. Alfred was going into the office as book-keeper after the holidays, so that his uncle, Mr. Tanner, could go to Salt Lake. The day before Christmas we buried our most promising boy with his agonized mother entirely prostrate, suffering much excruciating distress from inflammation of the heart. We postponed our Christmas gathering one evening and then with heavy hearts labored through it. It was Mr. Wallin's wish that we go on - and so we did. Mrs. Wallin lingered until New Year's morn when she too passed away. She has spent her whole married life in this place and has done far more for the church than any other lady member. She was a woman of frail health but possessed of an untiring energy and great benevolence. She has left a great vacancy among us. I feel as though my human prop was gone and I cannot see the result. Last week we observed the week of prayer meetings solemn as eternity. We are going on. This week, last eve. 6 or 7 of the tannery young friends rose in a body as desiring to follow Christ. Lizzie and Amelia, the hired girl among the number. The young people here are very frivolous caring for little else than pleasure. All this is done under the pretext of working for Christ, to raise funds for the handsome Episcopal Church which will be occupied in about two weeks. They keep up, one ceaseless round of promiscuous balls, masquerades, club dances &c and showy dress. Late hours and general frivolity prevail. The lumbering interest, on this side, are mostly identified with Episcopacy. James and I take a quick but firm stand against this frivolity and diversions and these suicidal to both health, intellect and soul and are supported in our views by a part of the church. Some of our own members have rather loose convictions of duty respecting their children and we feel that vital Christianity in this place stands in great peril and no power but the Holy Spirit's vitalizing presence, coming down as in pentecostal times, can save these beloved young friends from destroying themselves. The thought is agonizing in the extreme. This little church stands as a beacon in the midst of this great wilderness and if its light be darkness, how great is that darkness. Pray for us. We feel ourselves utterly powerless for such multifarious burdens and cares but we trust that "those that be for us" are more than those that be against. Now I might think of other things. We have had our share of sickness. First in the Spring three cases of measles. Willie's recovery was not very thorough. We had just gone out to the farm for the long vacation, not settled yet when Ann, our hired girl was called home on account of sickness in her father's farm.. Our village hired man had the bilious fever in strawberry time and while still weak from its effects was obliged to leave us to take care of his father's family who were all sick at once. This was before we went to the farm. Ann was gone nearly four weeks and I did without help. One week after her return she too came down with the same fever. When she was feeble from this our farm man John and Willie both took a little cold from damp clothing and came down the same day with the same fever. I think I could not have kept up had it not been for the bracing air of the farm. Somehow we have waded through all of these things and find ourselves alive, though jaded from hard work and sore trials. I have been very anxious about you a11, especially about Mr. Mill's business. I hope you have not felt the depressing effects of the panic, as much a we have here. In our general business relations we are but a suburb of Chicago. Still, I think we shall all weather the storm. I must speak about that hair. I cannot conscientiously send you a sample until I can send the money for it. This would not be right. I thank both you and Lillie for your kind, unceasing interest in the matter, but cannot accept it as a gift from either of you. The Christmas presents came nicely and are very acceptable. Something for my long neck is very useful to me. Indeed, I never find time for these tasteful things. Something that you have rather discarded answers my purpose just as well as new. Gracie and Willie had each made a lamp mat for their Aunties, but I suggested that they give them to Mr. Wallin's little boys as they were having so much sorrow and they appreciate such tokens so much. Mr. Wallin's last work was to secure a new ingrain carpet for our parlor, which was to have been slyly put down while we were at the church. It is a blessed thing to drop out of life in the midst of so many labors for other but what a vacancy such Christians leave. Mr. Wallin is a most excellent man. I never knew so active a business man who was so devoted as a Christian at all times and seasons. We had some small debts of several months standing which we must cancel before I send for the hair. If our salary was paid promptly we should be relieved from many pecuniary embarrassments. The people do as well as they can, and we must not complain. I have not been out of town but thrice since I came back from Penn Yan. Once to Chicago, once to G. Rapids on Fire Relief work and once this summer to Allegan to get me some fine shoes. Cannot be fitted in this town. Again good-bye. --- Saugatuck, March 7, 1874 Dear sister Hattie; You will see from the accompanying letter that we have more business with Aunt Kate's estate. We have sent the deed to Allegan with orders to have it forwarded to you immediately. It is somewhat perplexing to have business done in so many states. It seems very trying to have Dennis a burden on his mother's hands. He visited us once in Chelsea and James could have secured him an excellent situation with one of the members of our church, but he wished to make money faster with less labor. James has his wrappings all on for the office. We are so hurried all of the time. I cannot find a moment's rest. We have quite a sum to raise very soon on our church instrument. Times here are very stringent. No money in circulation. I am so tired of all these things that I find it very hard many times to keep up any kind of heart far any thing. Monopolies are the curse of these new lumbering villages. We had so much sickness last summer that I laid my rag carpet aside unfinished. Now I must get it ready. I paid the poor woman for weaving it beforehand and now she must have it before the great hurry of spring weaving. I have but a few more pounds of rags to prepare. Hope to feel in better health soon., Children as well as usual. Much love to all. Hastily yours, Mary P Taylor. --- Farm, July 29, 1874 Dear sister Hattie; How I have longed during all these intensely busy days to find a moment's time in which to write to you all, but it has seemed an impossibility. I cannot begin to describe how duties have seemed to grow heavier and more numerous, far beyond my power either physical or mental to perform. Now it is harvest time and the last load of winter wheat will soon be placed upon the stack. James and the two hired men are hastening for fear of rain. I came up to the farm for our vacation Monday eve. Ann and Gracie this morning. Today Will is at home alone or rather he is working in a peach basket factory. He is making the middle hoops. I do not know yet haw much he will earn per day. This is his first persistent attempt at earning money. He seems quite energetic and selfdenying about it. Has been at work about ten days. We are all pretty well excepting Gracie. She commenced drooping before school closed and ought to have been out here during all of July but we could not make arrangements to come one moment sooner than we have come. The Spring was very cold and backward. For about one month we had uninterrupted cold north winds, extremely dry, while you were having copious rains. this made all farm and garden planting come very later. After planting time we had some fine showers which were soon followed by a severe drouth. Last Sabbath morning we had copious showers but the wind was so high, a regular tornado, that an indefinite amount of damage was done to both fences and buildings, fruit and forest trees. The tornado was not as destructive right along the lake as it was in four miles back. The maples seemed to suffer more than any other forest trees. Two of our large lovely ones in front are nearly ruined and others more or less injured. Our injuries are slight however in comparison with our next neighbor. Our buildings were not unroofed. One of the nicest square roofed buildings in this vicinity was nicely unroofed while its occupants were in bed. they thought the chimney had blown down and arose to find the whole roof gone. I have not heard of any person's being injured during all of this fearful storm, which is a great mercy. Our Church building was not harmed at all which seems almost a miracle. The trees and shrubs on the parsonage lot were much injured. We do not think the breaking down of the onion foliages will injure the crop. Now as to the farm crops. Hay good and well secured--wheat very nice in quality and also in quantity we think for the character of the ground which is new with many stumps. Potatoes are nice, though not as abundant as they would have been with more rains. Spring wheat is yet to be cut, injured somewhat by the drouth. Corn late, but good. Part of it was injured by the cut worm and had to be planted over. The oats are yet to be cut. The carrots and parsnips are looking quite well. Our apple orchard was loaded last year, this year has but few and many of those are on the ground since the storm. Peaches promised before the storm about as they were last year. We have had no time to look after them since the tornado. I think the crop will still be fair. We feel that we have great reason for gratitude. We have been making some necessary changes in our house, to adapt it to two families. We now have a small family living on the back porch, a man, wife and baby about 16 months old. We like them very much. We had set out many fruit and evergreen trees upon the place this spring many of which have survived the drouth. I can hardly give up the idea of a visit from you all this season. It seems too bad for you not to come. I feel very anxious about [sister] Lillie's health. It seems to me that the best thing for her recovery would be to come right out here, via the lakes. Come and rest under the tees. If her health improved she could stay out here on the farm with part of us until extreme cold weather. If she felt that she must teach a little I doubt not we could secure her a situation for the winter term as assistant to the Principal. We have four teachers during the winter term. The board have employed a new Prin. a stranger, a young man graduating at Middlebury St. He has studied Theology one year and has come west for the benefit of his health. His throat has troubled him since he had an attack of diphtheria, east. Gracie just passed the window astride old Dollie's back. Grace Greenwood fashion. Mabel's eyes shine with a lovely lustre. She has just come in from the harvest field for "a little dinner" about 4 P.M. I hope I have a little more leisure soon now. The heavy Spring work of soap making, house cleaning two houses &c is nearly done. The strawberries are secured - sold $57.00. The green onion trade is about closed, have sold over $50.00 of these. The Church is cleaned. the Church organ paid for. The insurance money raised. The sexton's bill settled. So one can breath easier over these matters. For a time this season we have been without a propeller to Chicago but now we have a sidewheel Steamer, a large nice boat they say - the Huron. If Lillie could come via the lakes we would try to have her come from Chicago here without perplexity to her. If James could not meet her, he could provide an escort. if her health failed instead of improving we would send her back. Many persons with delicate lungs are much benefited by a change to a bilious climate. I have recd. several letters from you containing dainty neck ruffles for which rec. my sincere thanks. My neck has been supplied from this source for a long time. Gracie's little leghorn hat is trimmed with the blue neck ribbon Aunt Lillie sent me. We have so many devices for Church purposes this Spring and early Summer that I cannot find one moment's time for the pen. And the festival the last of this week and the S. S. picnic next week, if things are favorable. One thing has greatly rejoiced me in your letter. You do not speak of business as being depressed. The "times" here for the lat nine months have been extremely "hard." There is always a tendency to depression during the winter but with the opening of navigation business revives and money flows more freely. This year it has been otherwise. The lumber market has been depressed during the entire season. The largest firms here do not pay any money to their workmen and this makes collection almost impossible. Our people have struggled nobly to pay us our salary as promptly as they could but in spite of all their efforts there is still something back. The deficiency is now mostly on the Douglas side. We work very hard indeed and our garden is liquidating our store bills quite rapidly. So despite the pressure of the "times" we feel quite hopeful. When the Spring opened things looked very dark to us. We try to turn our cash out to our hired help, as far as we can. I think, unless some great pecuniary calamity should overtake us that we will come out very well at the end of the year. I have anxiety about you during all these troubled times. I do hope that you may live to see your nice home all paid for. I have promised to write some letters for James he is so busy and what will he say when he finds I have not touched them. He will say, "Well, I am so glad you have written to Hattie, but Wife, the other letters must be written you know." Lillie must not stay away from us because she thinks the "times" are stringent. No, no, we have a great abundance of vegetables and fruit &c. We have 2 cows so she need not fear starvation One thing I must not forget to mention. I am by no means "enciente" as you surmised. Perhaps you were deceived by my rejoicing over Lillie's wrapper. I had a nice bag of dried peaches prepared on purpose to send you, but after waiting all winter to get money enough together to pay the expressage - with many regrets I turned them over to the merchant this spring - on our grocery bill. I never remember being so troubled to get money as we have been for the past few months. This has made our Church work very hard. Give much love to all from us all, M

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 272-275 Saugatuck, Nov. 10,1874 Dear Sister Hattie; Your two letters came together day before yesterday. I am glad the jam reached you in good condition. I do not want you to give it all away. Reserve the most of it for yourself and mother. I can sympathize with you in your fatigue and excitement over these social gatherings which cost so much. I am getting ready for one here, Saturday P.M. and am trying to finish up my house cleaning. My house is so inconvenient that it is a hopeless task to try to keep thing tidy in the winter. The ingrain carpet given me last winter would be in ruins if it should remain upon the floor this winter. My new rag one is to save this - but it is not yet made. I have the stair carpet ready to put down today and trying to finish the rug to place before the organ. My bedroom is in a state of most appalling confusion as I have been patching for the last week and the remnants are in every direction upon the bare floor. I wish to mend the carpet and get it down today if possible. Christmas is almost upon us with its hurries and excitements. But then, one thing at a time. There is nothing gained by carrying our burdens before hand. Gracie has just returned from the P. 0. I find it will cost so little to send this dress as a sort of guide, that I will send it in preference to the measurements. This was made over from the lining of an old wrapper of Grace's which accounts for the seams in front of waist and skirt. This fits her very nicely around the neck and shoulders. The sleeves are about an inch too short and the skirt about two inches too short. She is a tall, slender child. When I make any new material for either of the girls I turn the sleeves in at the top, a full inch or more and always have to let them down the second season. Her plaid dress is made like this. The skirt trimmed with velvet ribbon. When I make a skirt from new, I turn it down at the top somewhat, and in this way make their nice dresses last two or three seasons. I cannot find time to make them many changes. I prefer substantial cloth and fewer changes. Must stop now and do a multitude of things. The day outside is lovely for a winter one. Went out last Friday to gather mosses for Christmas. Do not meet with good success since those terrific fires of three years since Affly Love, Mary --- Saugatuck Nov. 20, 1874 Dear Sister Hattie: Your most valuable package reached us safely last Sat. eve. The brown skirt will be very useful to me indeed and for a wonder is abundantly long. The black kid gloves have been greatly needed these many months. I have worn nothing but Lisle threads for more than a year. I will try to be very choice of these. These are many times when I need them much, to correspond with my other clothing. Neckties are always very acceptable. The children are much pleased with their chromos. Papa has promised to frame them when he can find time. The flannels will be used right away and the red flannel skirt, which is such a lovely color, will be made into garments for Mabel. The ribbon will find speedy use. They answer my purpose just as well as new, exactly. I have already worn the lace band and Gracie has the strip, in the neck of her school dress. The money market is so stringent here that every one's face, both comfortable livers, and those accustomed to abject poverty, looks sad and apprehensive. Of money there has been scarcely any in circulation for the past year. Of course the Minister is one of the first to feel the tremendous pressure of these times. Farm and garden, by incessant toil, furnish us an abundance to eat; and the farm will provide us with wood, but the difficult thing to be secured is the money to pay our hired help. We are obliged to make our family cash expenses very low. Last winter we had a shoe bill for ourselves and hired help, running along until Spring, which we could not pay in cash. I had no overshoes all winter, a thing I will never go without again. Gracie has a good new pair and if they are bought on credit and not yet paid for, I am not going to care. This is the way everybody does here. We do not intend to buy a cents worth of new clothing for our own family this winter, excepting our feet. This makes me an immense amount of patching and "altering over," but I can do it, if I can ever have my hands free from heavy house-work. We are in the midst of our house-cleaning - cleaned the cellar and the back shanty yesterday. After the cook stove is set up in its winter quarters, we can finish the body of the house in quite cold weather. There is so much work crowding upon me to be done immediately that I do not know which to attempt, or which to neglect. I am very thankful that I can keep moving, although it is sometimes at a snail's pace. Willie commenced school again Monday. The school is alive with whopping cough. Mabel has not had this. I have a terrible dread of this disease after our winter's experience with it before. One think I must mention before I forget it again. If you do not call for that lace on my hat, which you lent me, I fear it will be worn out. It has been on a hat for me in some shape or other every since. We have tried several times to have Mabel's picture taken to send to you, without being able to secure it. Yesterday was a lovely day and James spoiled his forenoon in the attempt. The artist's chemicals would not work. It is snowing fast now and when we can get out of town for it is uncertain. Our hired man is clearing up new grounds in the back part of the farm for spring wheat, if possible. the low ground is better for general crops, and the front, high ground for peaches and grapes. James has a most indomitable will and a quick tireless energy which really surprises me, many times. None others are worth a straw in these pioneer towns. We cannot either one of us foretell the future of this church. The way seems very dark many times. A feeble church cannot battle against every thing for a long series of years. The Episcopal minister is East begging his church for the third trip. How one can squander the Lord's money upon such an ornate building is strange to me. They have a dance at the hall tonight for it. --- Saugatuck Feb. 27 1875 Dear sister Hattie, I can scarcely tell you how hurried I feel this Sat. morn but I must drop you a few words to let you know that all the articles you have sent have reached us safely. I can hardly realize what are the events which have transpired within the past few weeks. Mabel has the whooping cough as we feared and has become very much emaciated with it, though we hope she is now recovering slowly. This has disturbed our nightly repose very much indeed, so that I feel more dead than alive much of the time. Three weeks ago last Tues. James and I arose very early and drove to Grand Rapids about 43 miles distant reaching there at 1 o'clock P.M. We did not intend to stay longer than over night, but the weather changed in the night and in the morn. a most terrific storm was raging. All of the roads and R. Roads were blocked up and it was impossible for us to reach home until Sat. P.M. 2 o'clock. When we reached home little Mabel was much worse than when we left as she had so much fever, Almost all of our choice plants were in ruins. Three of the Geraniums you too so much pains to send us show some signs of returning life. Before we went away we took the precaution to move them away from the window into the center of the room but my girl is such a sleepy head that when left to herself she would retire early and sleep late and so the work of destruction went on in spite of all our precautions. Some of there geraniums were all in bud when we left, But we must not murmur. We had the Dr. as soon as we came home and he succeeded in breaking up Mabel's fever. A week ago last Tues. Mr. Williams the H. In. Agent came here and has been with us every since holding nightly meetings, all of which I have attended. He has stopped with us all of the time and we like him very much indeed. There is some deep feeling on the subject of religion but our own members are, many of them, unable to attend on account of these fearful colds which are so prostrating. I have had one of these for nearly three weeks and it seems as though my head is literally becoming addled. Gracie looks like a ghost but keeps around. Last Saturday she met with a misfortune and broke a large corner from one of her permanent front teeth. I regret it very much, but cannot help it. We have a great many mercies. A little boy in town has lost one of his eyes -- and my children's teeth are of far less consequence than that. We are not having any water of any kind this winter and melt either snow or ice from the river for every thing. This increases our work very much. I must change girls soon as I cannot get along with such help. I cannot find one moment of leisure. I am afraid you will call this a blue letter. I do not feel blue but half sick and no place for rest. We are so sleepy when we stop exercising that it seems as though we could sleep anywhere. We have attended four funerals since Mr. Williams came here besides having one wedding in our parlor. Let us hear from you as often as possible. We wish to go out and make a few calls this P.M. if possible. the thermometer has run very low here, about 22 degrees below zero twice. This morn, eight below. Must stop, your aff Mary --- Saugatuck March 11 [1875) Your letter to Gracie reached us last Saturday, also the package containing the chemise and sun bonnet. Our meetings still continue nearly every afternoon and every evening and I cannot describe how full I am of labors and anxieties. many are seeking and finding the Savior and this is not the time to indulge in much rejoicing, when the harvest is so white and the laborers so few. I have so much company and such maimed help in the house that I feel ready to drop down every moment through entire exhaustion. Since Mr, Williams came James and I have attended 7 funerals. Hitherto I have been to every meeting. I have a class of young men about a dozen in number and I am trying to reach them more perfectly, by little notes as they are so widely scattered. In regard to the bonnets, you must wait a few days. Mrs. Putnam took tea here last night and I tried to have her fit the pattern to the little girls but she did not succeed to her satisfaction. I cannot attend to these matters now. My hired girl had the last piece of her toe nail extracted night before last. She is very poor help for me in such a time as this - but faithful and very kind. The bonnet you sent is very neat indeed, but much too large for me every way. My thin face is lost in it. I think 1 will return it to you when I can attend to it. If I can get good patterns for Gracie and Mabel I will send them. They will not want anything very large, especially Mabel. She will run bareheaded rather than be lost in a large bonnet. My neighbor has a little son, born during the night and I must get in there this morn. It is storming wildly again. One of our farm horses has been very sick for about 10 days. It seems entirely useless to work over it any longer. James told the hired man to shoot it this morn. This is a great loss to us in these fearful times but we will try to manage in some way. Henry and his wife or sister are seeking Christ. They attend the evening meetings all that they can., Pray for us. Your aff Mary --- Saugatuck May 5, 1875 Dear sister Hattie: The letter and plants came safely night before last. They are all potted and bottled according to the best of our ability. All look quite fresh excepting the heliotropes. With these choice plants which you have just sent and the few we have left we hope to posses again a valuable collection. We have poor facilities for house plants and can only cultivate those which will be most useful to us. We are eager for white blossoms as these are so much desired for funerals and weddings. The house plants of this village were nearly all destroyed during the winter. The fine plants which you sent us before survived our disastrous trip to Grand Rapids. "Duchess of Sutherland" "Salmon Queen" a variegated foliaged Abutilon is also doing well and a small, thrifty Similax. Have you these two plants? If not let me know. They survived the freezing. The State Ass. meets at Kalamazoo May 19 and I do so much want to attend but fear I cannot leave home. James thinks we could see some things there and perhaps buy a very few. This body does not come within our reach only once in six or seven years. Now respecting the Winter - it has been one of unprecedented severity - cold very intense and of long continuance. The Spring is very late. We have not touched house cleaning or flower garden. During the latter part of April we had a series of hard freezing nights which has done much injury to winter grains. there is scarcely any hope for peaches of any varieties. Such a Winter has not been known here since the settlement of the country. Back from the lake many peach trees are thought to be killed. Ours look thrifty. We were obliged to shoot our farm horse which I think was sick when I last wrote. We have arranged with our hired man to use his horse this year and so save buying at present. Business is very dull indeed. navigation has not yet fully opened. We cannot predict what change this will make. Our extra meetings lasted about five weeks. Seventeen unified with the Church a few weeks since, and twelve last Sab. The people seem to be doing all that they can under their many discouragements. I have had no girl for about five weeks and am worked down to a condition of extreme exhaustion. Have now a young German girl who has never worked out at all before. Last night I was so restless that I scarcely slept an hour all night. What I am dying for is a little quiet rest but it never comes and cannot be secured in these new towns. There are so many wheels to be kept revolving all the time. Went out last eve to hear the new bishop Rev. Dr. Gillespie. The Rector of All Saints church is expected to return here soon. We are better pleased with this arrangement than to have a new man. We know just about how far his influence will extend. Have just been down stairs and find myself invited to a "rag bee." People think I can go to everything conceivable. I do more work at home than any Amazonian Our S. School is very vigorous. I have a class of young men from 12 to 15 in number. Some of our young members have already left the place seeking employment. We have heard somewhat of your Church difficulties. but are not itching for a call. Church contentions are most disastrous. We feel anxious to learn of your financial prosperity. I would so like to her that your dear husband is reducing the debt. on your delightful home. Debts in this place during present times are a heavy burden but we do not allow ours to perplex our minds. We are trying to do the best that we can. Pioneer life must blossom out in many directions. We wish to feel that this new place has been unproved by our living in it, in very many ways. Your aff Mary P. Taylor

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 280-283 Saugatuck May 5, 1875 Dear sister Hattie: The letter and plants came safely night before last. They are all potted and bottled according to the best of our ability. All look quite fresh excepting the heliotropes. With these choice plants which you have just sent and the few we have left we hope to posses again a valuable collection. We have poor facilities for house plants and can only cultivate those which will be most useful to us. We are eager for white blossoms as these are so much desired for funerals and weddings. The house plants of this village were nearly all destroyed during the winter. The fine plants which you sent us before survived our disastrous trip to Grand Rapids. "Duchess of Sutherland" "Salmon Queen" a variegated foliaged Abutilon is also doing well and a small Similax. Have you these two plants? If not let me know. They survived the freezing. The State Assn. meets at Kalamazoo May 19 and I do so much want to attend but fear I cannot leave home. James thinks we could see some things there and perhaps buy a very few. This body does not come within our reach only once in six or seven years. Now respecting the Winter - it has been one of unprecedented severity - cold very intense and of long continuance. The Spring is very late. We have not touched house cleaning or flower garden. During the latter part of April we had a series of hard freezing nights which has done much injury to winter grains. there is scarcely any hope for peaches of any varieties. Such a Winter has not been known here since the settlement of the country. Back from the lake many peach trees are thought to be killed. Ours look thrifty. We were obliged to shoot our farm horse which I think was sick when I last wrote. We have arranged with our hired man to use his horse this year and so save buying at present. Business is very dull indeed. navigation has not yet fully opened. We cannot predict what change this will make. Our extra meetings lasted about five weeks. Seventeen united with the Church a few weeks since, and twelve last Sab. The people seem to be doing all that they can under their many discouragements. I have had no girl for about five weeks and am worked down to a condition of extreme exhaustion. Have now a young German girl who has never worked out at all before. Last night I was so restless that I scarcely slept an hour all night. What I am dying for is a little quiet rest but it never comes and cannot be secured in these new towns. There are so many wheels to be kept revolving all the time. Went out last eve. to hear the new bishop Rev. Dr. Gillespie. The Rector of All Saints church is expected to return here soon. We are better pleased with this arrangement than to have a new man. We know just about how far his influence will extend. Have just been down stairs and find myself invited to a "rag bee." People think I can go to everything conceivable. I do more work at home than any Amazonian Our S. School is very vigorous. I have a class of young men from 12 to 15 in number. Some of our young members have already left the place seeking employment. We have heard somewhat of your Church difficulties. but are not itching for a call. Church contentions are most disastrous. We feel anxious to learn of your financial prosperity. I would so like to hear that your dear husband is reducing the debt. on your delightful home. Debts in this place during present times are a heavy burden but we do not allow ours to perplex our minds. We are trying to do the best that we can. Pioneer life must blossom out in many directions. We wish to feel that this new place has been improved by our living in it, in very many ways. Your aff Mary P. Taylor Saugatuck, May 15, 1875 My dear sister Hattie; Your letter came day before yesterday. Do try to go with your dear husband. Life is so feverish and hurried with most of us that we are apt to let these seasons of change pass by unimproved. I am much hurried, have so many parish duties to attend to this week and S. S. concert Sabbath eve to round out the bundle of toils to its utmost capacity. I have a class of young men, not cultivated like eastern ones, but honest hard working fellows. all of the brain work for such exercises of course, comes on me. Do not feel at all well this Spring. Keep myself nearly drunk with quinine in order to avoid the ague. Mabel's whooping cough clings to her with unflinching tenacity. Outdoor play in a balmy air, I think, will conquer it. State Ass. at Kalamazoo next week Tuesday. I wish to go and will try to do so if l can hire a sewing woman to come here Monday and help me on an infinite number of small jobs. Have sent her a note this morn. We can supply you soon with same of the plants you have not. James thinks it will do just as well and better after we both return. Have not touched house-cleaning or yard work. The latter but little. We must let all of these things wait until our return. Weather here very chilly. Spring extremely backward. I suppose cousin Bennie is in Augusta near Clinton. How I would like to correspond with her but cannot. If you go to Phila. do by all means call on Miss Bonney. When I think of that town and its occupants I feel as though I long to be aetherealized and fly there as on the wings of the wind. Much love to a11, adieu, Yours, Mary Saugatuck July 27 [1875?] Dear sister Hattie, Your postal has been recd. Willie is temporarily unable to see well eno. to write in consequence of a bee sting upon his eyelid. We are almost hurried to death with home, Church & parish work. the sickly season has commenced among small children and I have to fly from one scene to another with almost the speed of the wind. James has just buried a poor Irishman who committed suicide yesterday morn. Tomorrow a beautiful baby must be laid away and I must make the wreath &c &c A small orphan child nearby is very low with typhoid fever. I have a young orphan Holland girl with me whose entire family save herself are dead. She belongs to our church. Her mother died about seven weeks since. The plants sent came safely and part of them are doing nicely. Heliotropes will not live. I have a nice one bought at our out doors about two weeks since. I can not tell you about these things. The children are so clamorous to get out to the farm as we are all here in the village yet. I am trying my best to shape things so as to leave here this week. The spring has been so backward that everything is much later than usual I shall finish saving the currants tomorrow if possible. The package containing the collar, necktie & edging came safely and are very nice indeed. We are having so many festivals &c &c to make the ends meet in the contingencies of the Church that I cannot find a breathing spell. Another one tomorrow eve if the weather will admit. James recd. a letter from Miss Strong which he answered the first moment he could after it came. Our yearly S. S. picnic passed off delightfully last week. Money matters here very stringent. About one third of our members absent from town to find work. This makes the burdens of the few remaining heavier than every before! We must not murmur - these are things entirely beyond our control. I seldom venture to use postal cards in this village. They are not very safe. Female clerks at the P. Office inquisitive & gossiping - misconstrue language many times however guarded and ambiguous. Very many thanks & much love to all, Your aff sister Mary P. Taylor Farm Mon. Morn Aug. 30 [1875] Dear sister Hattie I rode out to the farm late last eve. Willie will go down to Saugatuck with the horse before breakfast. While he is dressing I will drop one word. I have been sick with bilious dysentery - but am now better. Been absent from Church and all duties for more than three weeks nearly all of Aug. I'm still very weak though slowly improving. My girl leaves on Saturday to go to Chicago to spend the winter with her aunt. So this matter must be attended to. I am able to serve some for my family and am so hurried. Love to all Good by You Mary Mon morn. Sept. 16 Boy-like Willie forgot to mail this letter and left it in his best coat pocket. Tues. noon All unexpectedly the thresher came to us. We only expected to have them for one meal, but instead of that they were with us for three. This weather was so extremely sultry that they dared not hurry their horses. I came to town Wed. eve to make a promised visit or call on some sick ones, but instead of that was obliged to go to bed myself. My heath is very feeble indeed. I have the young orphan girl with me of whom I may have written. Our four straw ticks are all in the boiler. I have churned this morn. School commenced this morn. Grace & Willie will not begin until the weather changes. G. is not at all well. Willie & Mabel are quite strong for them. James is struggling to keep moving during this sultry weather. These days are always very hard on him. He is now making a collection of fruit to send to the Pom. Soc. at Chicago from this section, this eve. Our good Dutch boy commences harvesting the onions this week. The man on the farm is trying to get a piece of new ground ready for winter wheat this fall. So you see we are all very busy I should like much to go to Chicago to the meeting of the Am. Board next month if l had the strength. Presume I could see Olive there. Home is the best place for sick ones, as I found out at Kalamazoo. Grace sends a list of the geraniums now in bloom "Maid of Rent" "Velvet Nosegay" Salmon Queen" "Innocence" "Modesty" Duchess of Sutherland" Both of the "Opalis" bulbs are in bloom also an abundance of "Roman Ivy" raised from the seed you sent us. Several other geraniums are budded. We have a choice collection of house plants which are much admired. Have heard nothing more from Auburndale. If you can send the dress you speak of without too much expense, I think you better send it, as it is. I have a poor woman who is quite good now at helping me and I have just settled with her, so I feel more free to open a new account. Our salary is raised this year by weekly offerings and although the times are duller than I ever knew before any where, we manage to keep our expenses canceled as we go along, as far as it is possible. Our annuals are doing very nicely this season. I wish to send out several baskets of flowers this morn. It is too bad to have them wither unadmired. Just lengthened one of Mabel's white dresses with the wide embroidery you sent me last winter. She wore it yesterday. Your apple blossoms are on Gracie's leghorn hat. It is trimmed with the blue watered ribbon Aunt Lillie sent to me. I have a nice skirt for myself made of the remnants you sent. Took the gray for the bottom and trimmed it with some of the brown Japanese silk remnant edged with black. It is very pretty. I made this before I went to Kalamazoo. I hope to use the other remnants for the children soon. I can sew some but cannot do heavy house work. if everything goes to decay. I have a jar of cauliflower to be finished today. We have no peaches this year. Mary Wednesday eve Sept. 22 [1875] Dear sister Hattie, Lillie's letter of Sep. 11th your postal of the 15th and now your letter of Sept. 21St are all before me on the study table. The first two have been here ever since their reception and I cannot tell you how many times I have been really seated at the table to reply to them, when the imperative door bell, would jingle and I must descend, both literally and figuratively. I cannot explain to you how intensely busy we all are. Anna the young orphan girl, is learning the dress maker's trade, and the lady with whom she sews is very much hurried. This makes me a constant family of seven and no help. The weather is unseasonably cold and it seems as though all vegetables must be secured at once. I have some of the Autumn picking and canning done. The catsup was finished today. James & I took a long ride Monday to attend a funeral at Pier Cove and to accomplish many things while also seeking for a girl. This last was not a success as the girl had gone to Manlius before we reached her stopping place. The wind was extremely chilly but the ride along the lake shore was much enjoyed by us both. All the lake nymphs seemed to be out in the early morning with their white night caps on, Dutch lady fashion. the lake was wild, not a vessel to be seen. We did not reach home until ten o clack at night. This P.M. we have been to a wedding. One of our young ladies goes to Racine to live. This has taken nearly all my afternoon and you can imagine how the house work goes. I have been up so late nights recently to try to finish the work of the day that I cannot keep awake. It seems when I sit down that I am asleep in spite of myself, but when I really retired I am too tired for rest; and so pass many wakeful hours. James is waiting for me to stop. The study is so cold and it is so late I must desist. Friday morn: Again I make an attempt towards acknowledging the nice hat, but Mrs. Titus appears for an errand and I must attend to her. Back again. The mail will close. All I can say is that the hat reached us without much injury and is very pretty indeed. I think it will be becoming. I will try to make good use of it for myself. More geraniums are out. If I ever wade through these piles of work 1 will try to write. the drawers I shall keep for myself. I think they will be very nice, very many thanks but do try to save your strength as much as possible. Weather more comfortable. Love to all very much of it Your aff. Mary Friday morn, Oct. 8 [1875] Dear sister Hattie, The nice skirt came several days since and I can make very useful to me. I am going out to the farm in a few moments to assist in gathering some apples for pickling &c &c They ought to have been attended to several days since. The hired roan and the children are busy gathering in the onions which are very nice. Harm goes with us today to cut the buckwheat out at the farm. Rejoice with me. I have a girl again after this long interval of feeble health and overwork. She came yesterday morn. She is engaged to work in the lumber woods this winter but I shall be glad of two or three weeks assistance. Our hired man's wife at the farm is expecting to be confined in a few days - and I must put a few things into her hands immediately. I hope to write some letters the first of next week. Last week was the week of the fair. James took several premiums. Many of our geraniums are in bloom. Modesty is a most lovely blossom. Very Many, many, many thanks for your unceasing kindness. Willis is calling me. Hope yours dear husband's eye is well again. Affly your Sister Mary

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 288-291 Saugatuck Nov. 22, 1875 My dear Hattie: It seems like a very long time since I have written to you as it is. I have tried to keep in close communication with Lillie as I wish her to keep up good cheer. You may have heard through Lillie [a sister who had recently visited them] that little Mabel has been drooping for some time past and has recently been very sick, strongly threatened with a very stubborn form of Typhoid fever. We have worked over her by night and by day and she is now convalescing.. She is too feeble either to leave or to take with me so your very generous invitation cannot be accepted by us at present. If the health of the family will admit and we are all spared perhaps some of us can visit home in the latter part of winter or early spring. I am so tired with anxiety and a very severe cold that I can hardly think two thoughts consecutively. I have had no opportunity to thank you for your very many gifts. Pester - day I made a little flannel chemise for Mabel out of a soft remnant you sent. It is so nice on her little wasted body. I think with extreme care she will rally now. I have colored black this fall and have several garments you sent me from Mr. Mill's wardrobe ready to be repaired. James has worn that fine coat you sent for common a great deal. It was a purple shade and in the sun faded badly, but now it looks nice again. The shoes you sent by Lillie are a great comfort to James. They are just right and he wears them instead of slippers. Those seal brown stocking have been warn by me constantly since you sent them. They are a great comfort. This reminds me of what you wrote respecting Mrs. Judd. She is extremely kind but I have the little girls stockings all planned out and commenced. They can be made comfortable with the old ones nicely heeled and toed. I think the ample of yarn you sent would make beautiful stockings but they can do without them this winter. If Mrs. Judd could knit me a pair instead they would be very acceptable. We have so much Church and parish work to do this winter that I do not know where to begin. Every thing is so chaotic with these stringent times. Our members are coming and going, constantly changing to seek employment. One of our best young men was brought back in his coffin from Mackinac last week. He was a member of my S. S. class. Went there to work on the new mills which are being transferred from this place to that point. [The big mill from Singapore had just been moved to St. Ignace.] This eve. we have a gathering to consult about the future. The night of the 7`h a large shingle mill was burned here together with several other buildings. This throws many more out of employment. these things are very hard. One cannot find a moment's rest. from busy planning and as busy work. The times press with great severity on this community and our church work is very much crippled by them. Lillie can explain these matters to you better than I can. We cannot recover from the losses by those forest fires. Mr. Wallin, our chief man, does not know "which way to turn" as the saying is. I feel very sorry for him, he is such a noble man. It is sweet to feel that there is a superintending Providence who orders all these perplexities. All we can do is to do the best we can and leave all the results with God yours aff Mollie Saugatuck Dec. 7,1875 Dear sister Hattie, I think Mrs. Leony and yourself must be engaged in an "irrepressible conflict" with either real or supposed indigence. I do wish that you two good ladies could be persuaded not to exhaust either your bounty or your strength upon such censurable ingrates as we have many times proved ourselves to be. I believe our sensible mother used to regard me as sufficiently sensitive for all the ordinary friction of life. However since I have tried to carry as many burdens both private and pubic, I can perceive that I am becoming apparently extremely callous, to the opinions of others whether of praise or blame. I am unusually tired tonight having been engaged all day in the poetic diversion of house cleaning which with me always possesses at least one quality of "Alexandrine verse: since it "drags its slow length along." Thereon "hangs a tale," if! only had the time to weave it. James and I have an engagement in the country for tomorrow which will consume our whole day. In order to meet this, we must rise unusually early. Western pioneer life is one incessant whirl. If you still feel it to be your duty to wear yourselves out in labors for us I will say that that articles you have mentioned will be the most acceptable - much more so - than dresses. I have no pattern for a shirt for James sufficiently accurate to send but will give you some measurements which will serve as a guide. I would rather prefer to have them open on the back, although this is immaterial. The band of the neck is 15 inches in length when finished so as to receive a 14 '/2 inch collar. The sleeve is 211/z inches in length over the elbow. The wrist band is 9 in. in length and about 11/2 in width, perfectly plain, to rec. false cuffs of which he has an abundance. The shoulder from the band in the neck to the top of the arm hole is 7 inches. I think the safer way would be to leave the shirts without the neck bands being sure not to cut them too low. Willie is a tall boy - twelve years of age, with quite long arms. I'd make his shirts similar to his Father's in every respect excepting in size. I could also finish the necks of his together with the button holes in the bosoms of a11. Unbleached muslin is abundantly good. I would much prefer it. I never wear "tight drawers" as the best Chicago physicians condemn them. Under garments which would fit Lillie would fit me - if made a little longer in every respect. Gracie needs chemise, more than Mabel, as the latter takes those which Gracie outgrows. Gracie is a tall child I O years of age. I put all of our winter drawers in band at the bottom. James and Willie both have good new drawers, just made last week. Yesterday P. M. we devoted to gathering mosses for the S. School Christmas gathering. A rain has taken the frost out of the ground. I will send you a specimen of the kind of moss we found in a wild ravine three miles away. have never found this before since the great fires. I will send patterns of Gracie's and Mabel's drawers. The first notches from the top are for the side slits. The second is the length of the bottom band. The third is half the length of the top band. I make two slits at the top of Mabel's and only one at the top of Gracie's. These notches are all for the finished size. We all have an abundance of under shirts either made or cut out. I did some of the work when recovering from my sickness in the Summer. If Lillie could make Mabel a pair of wristlets to match the blue dress you sent her last winter, I would be much pleased. I have promised her these. I am yawning at a frightful rate. An aff. Goodby - Mollie Saugatuck, Dec. 31, 1875 Dear Sister Hattie, Two or three days since I sent you a shabby looking envelope containing Gracie's first attempt at crocheting. She calls it a "wash rag" and it is designed for Uncle Mills. We hurried it off in hot haste so as it have it reach you by New Years if possible, so as it being the year with a clean face. Today I send a similar package to Mother, containing a purple and white necktie which was sent to me more than a year since. Perhaps she may make some use of it. The elastics are Gracie's second attempt at knitting - these also for mother. They are just finished. When you see Mother, if you will, explain to her about these. I shall be much obliged. We are all invited out to Plummerville to a New Year's dinner tomorrow. One of our members lives there. She was Willie's first teacher in school and I think perhaps his best. It is a tedious ride to get there. It has just commenced raining hard. The frost is all out of the ground. Mr. Drover of Plummerville is an infidel, I suppose, but thinks very much of James and is always contriving to get him out there. They wished us to go tonight, it is a ride of 6 or 7 miles. We will try to go in the early morn, if possible. Your letter and the little `runaway' came safely the last eve. The picture is almost an exact likeness of little Minnie Breuckman of this village. I think we will hang it in her bedroom. There are several of them in this village. Mrs. Wallin had one in her bedroom when she was living. I am very much obliged to you for this. We will call it Auntie's New Year's present to all the children. I have just finished washing some clothes I colored black yesterday. I am going to get something in readiness for the silk skirt also for the gray one you sent before. The brown one you sent me last winter I have worn very much, It is my best winter's rig. When these hurried holidays are over I will try to write more. The Auburndale barrel contained a few good articles with much that was of but very little value to me. Do not say anything about this. It was very kind of them. Yesterday P.M. we went to dear little "Leoggie's grave and trimmed up the pines and transplanted some Arbutus and a few sprays of "fanning pine." These are hard to find since the fires. Gracie was sick and could not go. Willie and Mabel picked these wintergreen berries for Uncle Mills. I will drop them in the letter. Goodby Mollie (A Note from James) Saugatuck, Mich. Feb. 1,1876 My Dear Sister Hattie: Your very amiable letter of Jan. 28 came to hand this A. M. I am sorry that you have had occasion to be troubled about so many things. You must remember that "we are all poor critters" and our shortcomings are, perhaps, greater or more numerous than our virtues; hence we might conscientiously plead guilty to almost any thing except willful murder. We certainly did nor intend to put you on the rack, by any unnecessary delay in acknowledging your kindness and the favors of the Ladles in Penn Yan. Most assuredly we have a very high appreciation of all who contributed so cheerfully to increase our comforts. We could not however very well acknowledge the barrel before it came into our possession and as it was two full weeks on the road there was room for anxiety; hence Mary stole a few moments from time otherwise devoted to the sick & dying & sent a line by the first mail after its arrival. But as she had no help in the kitchen and as we are not yet so etherialized as to live without eating, she found it quite impossible to say all that ought to be said at that moment. She has since written to Mrs. Bruen, Pres. of your Society, which I hope will be a sufficient recognition of the many favors we have received outside of our family friends. To them we are always in debt & I suppose always will be. The general health of this place has been good for the year past, but then the aged and the infirm are always failing & falling away - Mary has no help now but Anna Henjes - an orphan girl who works for her board and goes to school. We have had a very mild winter thus far, but it is now colder with a northwest wind & some snow. Mary and Mabel both have hard colds & are nearly sick, yet one is in the kitchen and the other at school. You my express my - our - special regards to Miss Belknap for the blocks in the bedquilt that came from her hands. Also to Mrs. Long for the over-coat. This will save my better one many drenchings in bad weather & then take many thanks - very many to yourself and Broth. E. W. for the numberless favors we have had from year to year. For further explanations - come out & see us. We would like a visit for you all With much love yours truly James Saugatuck March 3, 1876 Dear sister Hattie; Your letters - edging - postal car &c &c have all been recd. We have been going through with so much excitement for the 1st two or three weeks and I have had so much company that I am almost ready to give up through excessive fatigue. Yesterday I drove about fifteen miles after a girl to Diamond Springs and back. Secured her and reach home about nine o'clock last eve. We are having the first sleighing of the winter, but the snow will be nearly all gone by night. The lumbermen are working day and night. I visited a lumber camp yesterday. So perplexing a winter for lumbermen has never been known before in this region. This open winter has thrown many members of our church out of employment and the families of some are almost famishing for the necessities of life. These things however have their compensations. The winter has been most favorable for the very poor in cities. It would seem that God is teaching all classes of persons throughout the commonwealth to walk by faith and not by sight. Everything seems so chaotic that no one knows how to plan. The population of these lumbering towns is always very fluctuating. It seems almost impossible to built up a steadfast Church in such a community. If Lillie could only look at these denominational peculiarities as I do, of how little consequence would her own preference on a few points appear. I can fully realize how trying her course has been to Mr. Mills and yourself. Just at this time when your ladies have done so much for us. I do not know as either of us are to blame for this. I wish she could have waited a few weeks at least. We ought to have expected this result long ago. Baptists the world over have a persistent habit in this direction. I think they are so taught to magnify their notions about baptism that they are not aware how the unconscious influence which they exert upon others many times appears. I do not care to have my children know anything of their Aunt Lillie's course in this direction. It will do them no good. When they are older they can better understand these influences. Aunt Lithe has always been associated with yourself, our dear sainted parents - and the whole Porter pedigree. Poor child, it is amusing to hear her talk of being unbiased. I do not wish to have any words with her at all upon the subject. It is amazing to me how Christians can delight in pushing with their denominational horns. You know Mother delighted to argue this subject as if it were vital to the soul's salvation. May the Lord shield my children from this element of discord. The ferns and the letter to Lillie about them were mailed on the same day that I sent the letter to the ladies, but I presume they did not leave this office until Monday. Lillie has been over Bald-head and I thought she could describe it to them in an interesting way. I think I also copied a beautiful poem to be read to the ladies if she chose, called the "Petrified Fern." I did not know whether she ever read nor repeated this to either mother or Lillie since it will do no good whatever and promote ill-will. I am for peace and harmony. Will try to return the letters to you soon. Now I am going to mill before the snow all melts -- and attend to a variety of errands. Your aff Mary

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 296-299 Dec. 27,1876 My dear sister Both your packages are recd for which very many thanks. These holidays are so overcrowded that I cannot write. Must fit James off to a wedding in a few moments. Our whole day tomorrow is promised in the country about 7 or 8 miles distant. Have already worn the warm stockings out calling. They are quite large, but I think they will answer. Shall wear them tomorrow. They are just right in length of both legs and feet. You know I have but a very small calf to my limb. Ten or twelve stitches less at the top would be abundantly large. The feet and ankles also a trifle smaller. These will do me more good than a thousand articles of finery. We make two visits tomorrow - one a wooden wedding - the other a birthday party. Children have all been out of school a good deal through sickness. All pretty well now excepting Mabel. She is very feeble yet. Your aff. Mollie. --- Saugatuck, Dec. 29, 1876 Dear sister Hattie: The package containing the pants came duly but I have been so overrun with work and excitement during these holidays that I have not had a moments time to acknowledge them. James thinks they are decidedly a God send to him. He has the smaller pair on now. With slight alterations to both they will do him so much good. His old common ones are patched to death, and ragged at that. Have been without help during these Christmas toils and am still girl-less. Cannot tell you of Christmas till these labors are more nearly finished. We were all away from home all day yesterday, about six miles in the country. Gracie wore her new garnet colored dress (a Christmas present from Uncle Mills) which I hired made last week. It is made with a polonaise trimmed with three rows of black velvet ribbon, black velvet buttons behind, small pockets in front. I think there is enough material left to make Mabel a nice dress by another winter. My head aches so hard and it is time for the mail to close. Affly Love sister, Mary P. Taylor --- Saugatuck, Jan. 24, 1877 My dear sister Hattie, Your most valuable package reached me safely Mon. forenoon. That was one of my sick days and I was in bed when it came I arose to try to get the warm dinner on for the children but when it was partly cooked had to leave the kitchen and give it up. To make matters more pleasant just as the clock struck 12 in came a gentleman to be dined. I did not see him at all. Was so deathly sick at my stomach that I could not hold up my head. All assisted and the dinner was dispatched and the children back again to school without tardiness. Three are fitted off to school daily. Mabel does not attend. She is far from well. Your letter came in the P.M. of Mon. also one from Lillie. The bell is ringing and I feel so hurried. James is gone and there is no one here to post this letter but Willie. The stockings are on my feet. They are a very nice fit, exactly right in every particular if they do not shrink on being washed. I do not know about the yarn in that particular. I do not need another pair two are quite sufficient, so do not trouble your dear heart about any more. I am very sorry Mr. Mills' health is so poor. I wish he could have entire rest from business for a long while. Business men have had a tremendous burden to carry for the last few years and I do not wonder that they fail physically if not pecuniarily. Much love to all. Great body of snow. Willie can't wait. Yours gratefully, Mollie --- March 1, 1877 I sent you a postal this morn and a few wintergreen berries to "E. W." and yourself this P.M. The children thought as Uncle Mills was so fond of wintergreen candies, perhaps he would like some of the berries themselves. I cannot go out to prayer meeting this eve. and have sent Anna in my place. I am trying to patch up my health a little before the debilitating spring weather arrives. I think I took too generous a dose of medicine last night. The children have company down stairs. When James returned from the office this P.M, he brought me your very welcome letter. The stockings have not reached me yet but I presume they will come all right. Very many thanks to both "E.W.," "Grandma Hess" and yourself. Maybe just a very few of the wintergreen berries would remind Grandma of girlish days. I feel truly grateful to her for all her kindness to us. These stockings have been an indescribable comfort to me this winter. I have been unusually sensitive to cold for the past few months. My system has been deranged ever since I had that tedious attack of bilious dysentery. I think if I will persevere I can gradually work ofd some of the virus which seems to injure my health. The striped stockings are now adding greatly to the comfort of my limbs. Speaking of these reminds me corns. Have you any? I have had one ever since I taught in Phila. I thoughtlessly put on a pair of new walking shoes one very warm day and took an almost endless "tramp" after my S. S. class. This was the beginning of my "corn." I have tried a very simple remedy lately and the soreness is nearly all gone. It is a French prescription. It is nothing but raw beef soaked thoroughly in vinegar and bound on at night. this has done mine great good. Willie is playing a quickstep for the amusement of his friends and this together with fatigue bewilders me. I thank you very much for telling me so definitely about Lillie's health. Are the diarrhea and constipation new symptoms or has she been trouble with them for some time? Did she suffer with them while in Galva at all? I am very sorry to hear of these but I wish to know the worst, does she have any "night sweats" I think she had a low form of inward fever much of the time when she was here. I never noticed a well defined "hectic flush" but I did observe that cool fruits were very agreeable to her. Did she lose much flesh after her return from Galva? I shall be very anxious to know how the spring atmosphere affects her, although I dread to hear. Does she seem to suffer very much acute pain through her lungs? How does Mother feel about her? I should think her Eastern physicians would greatly lament their fatal blunder respecting the seat of her difficulty. Does she attempt to sing often and how does the effort affect her? Last autumn I though perhaps I could visit home this Spring but it hardly seems possible now. Our good Dutch boy Harm came back again to-day. He will attend to the farm work and help a little about the wood here, until we know what we will do. We rode out to the farm and set him up in housekeeping there this P.M. This is the first time I have been there in many weeks. It was better for our man there to leave now, than to wait until the expiration of his year. Every thing here is very chaotic since these pecuniary difficulties began to press so heavily upon the nation. It seems many times almost impossible to keep all the departments of church work filled with workers. Still harder is it to keep the finances where they should be. Some of our best members have been laid aside by sickness this winter. We do not know how to spare them but God knows best. The resting time never seems to come as long as one can possible hold up her head. Do you suffer as much as ever with your terrible headaches? I hope not. We are very sorry to hear of Uncle Mills difficulty with his eye so one by one life's infirmities creep upon us. Who could wish to linger as Grandma Chambers does - upon the borders of the "Promised Land?" Now I must stop and seek repose. May your rest be refreshing. Mollie --- Home July 17, 1877 Dear sister Lillie, Your letter of July 1 reached us duly and your postal of the 12th last eve. It is now 11o c1. A.M. and I have left my row of weeding unfinished to drop you a line for the afternoon mail. I am altogether a fascinating personage to behold as I have just generously greased my nose and face with camphor oil. My blood is very impure again as in the bustle of moving I have neglected my medicine. James is reclining n the couch, his comely phiz concealed from view by a newspaper. Anna is getting the dinner. Harm is cutting the wheat by the barn while the children are watching the cattle and I suspect hunting for wintergreens to sent to Aunt Lill, Gracie and Mabel discovered some on the back part of the farm yesterday. Anna is going down to the Wallin neighborhood immediately after dinner to visit a lady who is in very feeble health and who expects to leave town sometime this week. We hope to have the carpenters come here sometime next week and commence our addition to our house. James thinks we will try to extend the back part 16 feet by 20 running it up 6 feet higher than the old part, thus furnishing us a little chamber room when completed. We think this will not look very unsightly by putting a "hip roof' upon it, but as we are so much accustomed to the "composite" order of architecture, since our residence of 9 years in the parsonage, we do not much fear aesthetic criticisms. We do not hope to do anything more with this year than to complete it sufficiently for storage. I presume there will be no door between it and the old part before late in the Autumn. We are obliged to anticipate the funds we hope to rec from the peaches in order to commence this now, so we must be as careful about expenses as possible. Then too some kind of good cellar is a necessity so we all work at whatever light farm work we can do this saving our money to be applied where neither our skill or strength can avail. The children take hold of the lighter departments of toil with but little grumbling. I try to mingle as much frolic with the hard toil as I can and by working with them myself occasionally, the drudgery is performed quite merrily. One week ago today Luman, Van and Jessie Wallin spent with us. The children were all in their farm attire helping their papa weed the beets. They all seemed to enjoy their rustic holiday to the full. Jessie, you remember is the quiet child of Thomas Wallin's whom you met in Chicago. She asked very wistfully after you and sent you her love. The gay party of six were all over the farm. The three horses were at liberty and were all utilized by the equestrians, one with Willie's saddle, one with the horse blanket, one with God's blanket, his own skin. Sometimes there were three mounted horses under the cherry trees and three merry children on the tops of them. They ate their dinner down in front under the maples and I was able to furnish for it the very last strawberries of the season. Without our home the prospect is delightful, within it is very disorderly but we hope for better times after the visit of the carpenters. The children are quite interested in poultry raising and we hope to have some tender chickens to masticate this autumn. We have one gobbler, a most majestic personage and three hen turkeys with five little turkeys. Mabel makes some very odd speeches about these farm residents. The old gobbler was inclined to be very cross to the little girls, but Mabel has conquered him with the horse whip. Her hen would persist in eating gravel and she thought she would teach her better by using the same implement. I tried to explain to her why the gravel was necessary for the hen. "O yes," she replied. "The little stones are her knife and fork." The yellowness of her nose is disappearing and I think her coughing is not as apparent. The little girls are going down to Saugatuck with Anna to pick the raspberries in the garden there. Our onions there look very nicely indeed. We have a few flowers in boxes in front of our house. The verses you sent are very beautiful. I have sent them to Mrs. Wallin. She has been quite ill with a miscarriage. I am sorry these wintergreens are so old. This sassafras grew on the ridge back of the peach orchard. It reminds me of our dear mother. I used to gather its tender stalks and extract their pith to make a mucilage for her of which she was fond. --- Saugatuck Mich July 30, 1877 Dear Sister Lull: I have been looking for time to write & invite you out here this summer. We should be very glad to have you come and enjoy our Lake Ridge Farm House. It will do you good and us too. Mary & the children will be there. You had better come & stay a year with us & recruit your health before teaching any more. We have wheat & corn & potatoes and a general assortment of vegetables & hence we can keep you as long as you are pleased to share our humble home. This climate has proved beneficial to so many suffering from pulmonary irritation that we are very anxious to have you come & try it. You need not fear the ague, especially out on the lakeshore. It does not trouble those who live there. If you come by the lakes send us a line & we will request the very obliging clerk on the Huron to look after you on your arrival at Chicago. If you come by R. R, take the cars at Detroit on the Michigan Central to New Buffalo & there change to the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore R. R. to Richmond, thence by Stage 5 miles to Saugatuck. No, do not say no to this invitation, but come on immediately. Mary is writing at my table and I am on one corner, so that my penmanship is scarcely intelligible. Yours truly James --- Farm House Dear Sister Lillie: Now we are out here again and James has passed this over for me to finish while he puts up some hooks for our convenience. We are very much in earnest about your coming here without delay. This is a lovely day with such a fresh breeze perhaps a little damaging to Grecian curls but invigorating to delicate lungs. You can practice horsemanship with the children if you come, Grace Greenwood fashion or we can get you a side saddle. I do not want you to come to work yourself to death over our wardrobe but to put your own in a nice order as you choose and have a general long period of rest. This farm ink does not work well!) I hope you will conclude to start just as soon as you can. If you come on the lakes you must be well provided with under flannels and warm outside socks. Shoes are the worse thing for me to find here. You better purchase what you will need for a year in Penn Yan. Be sure to bring some coarse ones for beach rambling among the pebbles and boulders. Bring your music along. If Papa can find the mats which Gracie and Willie made for their aunties he will send them. They were finished long ago. Gracie made the looser one for Aunt Lillie, Willie the other for Aunt Hattie. The worsteds are from my old assortment which has been much culled over. I must refer you to my scrawl to Hattie for particulars respecting us all. Yours till we meet in Michigan Mollie

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 304-307 Saugatuck, Mon morn, Aug. [1877?] It is very early. I can scarcely see the lines. Willie is eating his breakfast before it is ready for the remainder of the family. He is going down to Saugatuck to get another fruit ladder which James could not secure late Sat. eve as the shop was closed. We have commenced shipping our first peaches "Early Heales." We are suffering from a severe drouth, no rain of any consequence since the fifth of July. the days and nights are very oppressive. James has been up, I do not know how long, finishing his wagon box so as to transport more baskets at a load. I wish we could divide them with you. Your last letter reached me Friday eve after I had retired. At first I thought I better not open it until morning fearing I should pass another sleepless night. but how could I resist the temptation. Imagine my utter amazement when I saw what it contained. I have not one moment's time to write about it. It seems like the "price of blood" to me. Why not pass it over to Mother? I should much prefer it. As it is here I will appropriate it immediately to meet some urgent bills. In the first place I must have a girl during these periods of such high pressure in domestic life. I cannot endure this strain much longer. Untold thanks for your disinterested kindness and self sacrificing love. [The letter contained a draft for $130 to help the Taylors with several outstanding debts.) This is "shipping day." We hope soon to have a daily load at present only three times a week. This makes us so crowded as "Early Heales" are very unreliable especially in such weather. Much love to Mother, your Mollie. --- Saugatuck Nov. 1, 1877 Dear sister Hattie: Your postal reached me night before last but as no one could possibly come down from the farm yesterday I could not reply to it. It is almost a year since I have had any regular hired girl and I am tired beyond description. Now I have the promise of one Friday night. I do not know anything about her, only that her husband is in Jackson Prison for stealing. I must have some body and will hope that she herself is honest. I have never seen her. Mother's post of Oct. 15 came duly. A few days before I had dispatched a long letter to Mother and James and I both said, we presumed it reached her by the very next mail after she had pasted hers. As I was so intensely busy this allayed my anxiety It is very strange that this letter never reached her. In order to write it I arose at three o'clock one Monday morn in peach shipping time. Anna was home from school that morn and I could write my letter, do baking for the children, drive down to Saugatuck and the flour, before the first bell for school, get a load of peach baskets at the factory, hurry home, assist in preparing the fruit for market, get dinner, sew on the tarlatans, help load up &c in time for the boat. I have lived in a perfect whirl all the last year and I sometimes wonder whether I am sane or not. When I wrote to mother I was expecting a Dutch girl soon. She came and had been with me but one day when she came down with two chills a day. It seems she had had the ague two weeks before but had done nothing for it. as she was of a very plethoric habit. I greatly feared congestion so I doctored her up as well as I could for about a week and then sent her home, 28 miles distant. I wrote Mother as well as I could about our affairs up to that time. It is extremely kind of her to be willing to diminish her own resources to assist us, but we do not need it. Our peach crop this year has help us wonderfully. Prices did not rule as high as last year, but as so many of our trees bore this year for the first time and as we have some late peaches our harvest was of long continuance and in the aggregate paid us well. Our floating debts here are nearly all settled and we have replaced our pet cow, dear "White Face" whom we sold with many regrets in the spring. Our onion crop is good. We are now shipping them to Chicago where they are stored for Winter sales. We can never anticipate the price of this crop. Since we commenced raising them the price has always been fair excepting one year when we lost them quite heavy. We are conducting all of our affairs upon a cash basis as far as we can. What I need the most of anything is a strong, reliable girl. I have not told you that the children are all attending school in Saugatuck. They are in town from Mon. morn till Friday night. We have taken two small rooms for them near our village gardens. The "upright" of the house was burned last April since which time it has been vacant until we took the wing and fitted it up carelessly for the children. We have much to do before it will be ready for Winter. One of our old neighbors has been in here a long time. She always comes for a chat when she sees me come into the house. Now, the children are home from school. I am expecting James every moment. We must hasten back home to get the supper for the hired man. James is here nearly dark, feels very frosty. Must attend to house plants home, green tomatoes &c We both wish Mother to use the funds she has for her own comfort. I would prefer to return all of the money you sent me. (the $130 drabs) to Mother just as soon as I can but if she will not take it then I wish to pay back half of it to you, when we get returns from our onions which will not be until the last of Feb. or March. I paid 50 of that to our hired man, 50 to Charles Taylor - interest money - and the remaining 80 just covered an unpaid bill for lumber for our addition. It was a great relief to have it to use then. Goodbye Mollie --- Saugatuck, Nov. 27, 1877 Dear sister Hattie, Mother's and your joint letter reached us Sat. eve. I sent you a postal Sat. morn acknowledging the receipt of the watch, spoons &c. We supposed the latter came from you, until the reception of your letter, We will write to Mother Taylor at the very first moment, possible. This is Thanksgiving week which is always a hurried one. I wish I had one moment of time now. Poor Mrs. Elks is at rest and we start in a few moments to attend her funeral. The day is terrific - rain, sleet and such a howling wind. This death makes both James and I much extra work. I presume I shall have several letters to write in reference to it. Now for business. First, furs. I still have all of the fur which ever came from Penn Yan. The mink muff you sent me has been very useful. Indeed I have used it so much that the lining needs repairing. Lillie's Siberian squirrels are still presentable when I can reline the muff. I wish to repair these for Anna. They are good enough for her, or for any one else. Gracie had a Christmas present of a muff and victorine several winters since. They are good enough for several seasons when I get the muff relined. Mrs. 4. R. Johnson gave these to her new from the store. Mabel has a cute little muff, white with black spots. This was sent to her in a missionary box, that brought the nice things I gave to Lillie. This box also brought me a large mink victorine quite large almost a cape. It is exactly like the muff you sent me, one would suppose they were one set. This is in good order. So you see we are well provided for when I can secure time to repair the linings of most of them. I should think mother better by all means keep her own set and second best. Then she will be well provided for --- cape or boa - just as she prefers. I do not wish to put such expensive things on Anna. It requires much judgment to take such a girl and make her what you wish. She must be brought up with simple habits in dress. I cannot feel willing to take the $400 now. Can we let the matter rest in this way. If our onions sell reasonably well we shall not need it. If they do not, then it might be a great relief to us to have a part of what Mother proposes in the spring. Let her keep all of her funds together for the present. very affly your Mary --- Sat morn 11.30.1877 My dear sister Hattie: Your last welcome letter reached me Wed. eve. James brought it to me on his return from the funeral of one of our old members who resided in Ganges several miles away and who could worship with us but infrequently. I was sick abed, then, but am up again now. The weather has been extremely sultry and we have been obliged to work very hard to try to crowd the harvest work out of the way this week as the carpenters have promised to come without fail next Tues. morn. We have another hired boy and this thrusts Willie out of a sleeping place again. Then too I must contrive some place for the carpenters to lodge. Altogether I never lived in such confusion and dirt before for so long a time in all my life. Mabel does not realize the uncomfortable condition of affairs and is perfectly contented if she can find any safe, unoccupied corner where she can deposit her dollies. the old gobbler is so thoroughly conquered by the exercise of severe and mild measures that he can be handled at will by his little mistress. She calls him her youngest brattier "Gobble Turk Taylor" she has named him. The other day she had him shut up with herself in a dry goads box. She rides "old Dollie" around a little almost daily and sometimes Gracie and Mabel are bath on her back at once. There is a certain part of the carriage drive where Dollie is expected to trot and this is called the "race course". Mabel's greatest trial in horsemanship is Dollie's propensity to drop her head and snatch a mouthful of grass. This exasperates Mabel as she says it makes her back ache to pull up her head, think the child is becoming stronger every day. I do not censure you in the least for not writing oftener. I have known for many years the utter impossibility of doing what I wished to do in this way. The urgency of the demand does not seem to furnish the opportunity. Sabbath is a day of incessant toil to me. I still retain my class of young men and cannot appear before them without a somewhat thorough preparation. Since coming to the farm we do not try to go down evenings with any regularity. James has just made a very exciting announcement. He has discovered the old Guinea hen sitting on sixteen eggs. She has secreted herself among some weeds on the ridge back of the peach orchard. She has chosen a very romantic place with the lake in full view. Last Thursday while we were all eating a very early breakfast, James uttered a wild cry of extreme surprise. A large fox was running over the ridge with a nice top-knot chicken in his mouth. He escaped, but the poor chick was found nearly dead in the grass. This explains the mysterious disappearance of two of the children's little young turkeys since I last wrote. This seems quite vexation. The old fox refuses to be trapped. Willie has secured a woodchuck so he begins to feel a boyish ambition to become a trapper and has some wonderful tale of heroic exploits to write for the Youth's Companion. Altogether we should enjoy our farm life exceedingly well if we were not so disorderly and filthy. Who does like to be so frequently mortified to death. Yesterday we dined two visitors - one a very gentlemanly stranger visiting his sister Mrs. Haines. This liability to company from abroad during the season of Summer rustication makes me feel doubly anxious to become in measure settled. This is a day of showers. James finished stacking the rye last night - the wheat is all out in the field yet excepting two loads. Our bags are all collected and washed, preparatory to mending. We wish to have the threshing done as soon as possible on many accounts. We feel that we have very many mercies. We are all able to perform our allotted tasks most of the time. Gracie is drooping today but I think it is nothing serious. Harm endures the harvest work better than we feared. I hope your new business plans may prove satisfactory and give you both much relief from over exertion. You are all in my thoughts continually. It seems as though I must be in Penn Yan with my beloved Lillie -- but haw can I be spared from home? We have sold a village lot, but have only recd. $25.00 on it as yet and that in an order. Money is so hard to secure. We hope to secure some money from our peaches. We are trying to settle up our little bills just as rapidly as possible and I do not see how we can do any more. I am by no means unmindful of all your severe trials. I hope you may all be sustained. I am very sorry Lillie is obliged to suffer so severely. How mysterious are God's ways. James is ready to go down to Saugatuck after a load of lumber. He is in great haste. He must also go to see Mrs. Ellis the poor paralytic. very hastily your Mollie. --- Saugatuck, Dec. 14,1877 My dear sister Hattie; Your postal and the barrel which you sent for me bath reached us on the same day - yesterday. I did not understand from your letter sent about that time that the barrel had been sent consequently felt no uneasiness. As navigation across to Chicago has closed and as the roads are very bad, the merchants rec. their good from the station in preference to any one else. I presume if the truth were known, the barrel has been waiting at the station, perhaps for a number of days. James brought it up last evening. I did not open it until this morning. I am suffering from one of my attacks of sickness. Every thing is in excellent condition. We have no mezzotints of the size of which you speak. We have two very nice small pictures of you both, which have long been framed. We have also a larger picture of Lillie framed. Our pictures are all still nailed up in a box. This larger one was taken in a dress of either Aunt Julia's or Mary Steverts. She has on a nice sharp pointed lace collar, if I remember. If the arctics for the little girls are not purchased will you please get Gracie's a size larger than we directed before. The shoemaker made her new shoes too small. He is now to make her a pair Ladies size no. 2. Do not send all of Penn Yan to us. I cannot tell you how hurried we are. James is waiting. I hope to write more soon. James has whitewashed the parlor this morning. Affy yours, Mary

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 312-315 Saugatuck Feb. 8, 1878 My dead sister Hattie, While the water is heating for the bleach I will commence a few lines to you. If I stop to prepare the vegetables for dinner, I fear something will occur to prevent my writing. The basket of flannel clothes to be washed is standing in one corner of the room as I am in the kitchen. It is Friday and James wishes to go down early for the children as they wish to have him in town the moment school is out. They like to be home as early as possible. Your barrel reached us one week ago last Wednes. but it was left unopened until Friday eve at the urgent request of the children especially of Mabel. As they walked home in a storm and as the hired man, Grace and Willie were all to be fitted off for Saugatuck again that eve. I suggested the propriety of opening the barrel Sat morn. when we were all fresh and there would be less confusion. This proposition was very unpopular and nearly cost me my reputation for sanity. Willie declared that he would be responsible for the safe transportation of the barrel from the new part to the parlor whereupon it came thundering along at the imminent peril of all misplaced furniture or gaping by-standers. I was too busy in the kitchen hurrying for the supper to enjoy the fun but could hear frequent bursts of applause and rollicking laughter. Mabel's greatest desire was to reach the arctics. She had been waiting for them for some time and has been somewhat mortified by the appearance of her feet. They fit her nicely are a great comfort especially now as the weather is quite cold. Sat. morn she was up before light seated at the breakfast table with her dress and cloak and arctics on. I asked her why she had on her cloak &c. She replied that she thought that she might want to run outdoors a good deal that forenoon, so she thought she would get ready. Grace and Willie went to a little party in Saugatuck that night and Gracie remained all night as it was so intensely dark. She did not reach home until near night Saturday, so there was no time for writing. I am afraid they will bring company home with them tonight. The winter gloves are all nice and comfortable and all appeared with them on last Sabbath. Willie found his sash just the thing and Anna wore the red necktie which is very becoming to her. Papa is much pleased with his black neck-tie. It suits him much better than any we can get here. The little girls here wear these silk hhdk's [handkerchiefs?] around their necks to church so Gracie and Mabel have made an arrangement with papa to wear his each alternate Sabbath. Mabel wore it last Sabbath. Mamma carried the new muff which is very nice. Oh! dear. It is time to get the dinner now so goodbye. [Lillie Porter apparently died between the beginning of this letter in February and its conclusion in April. There is a portrait of the three sisters, that shows Mary and Hattie as mature women, and Lillie in extremely frail condition. Mary visited Penn Yann at some point before Lillie's death.] --- April 10, 1878 Dear sister Hattie. Here lies this unfinished letter. It was slipped into the drawer Feb. 8 on the arrival of company just as we had completed our dinner. I am now trying to write and attending to the dinner at the same time. We have recd. several postals from you the last of which contained the cabbage seed from Mother Taylor. I wrote to Mother Porter a few days since. We recd no further word for our onions. At half the price for which they sold last year we should have cleared $250 from them. As it is we have had but $90.00 and do not know as they will see well enough to allow us to retain this. This $90.00 does not include the expense of the barrels so we shall not grow very rich out of our onion labor. We might far better have spent the time in bed resting from our other toils. 0f course this leaves us much embarrassed and perplexed. We have excellent credit - but I am disgusted with credit . and sometimes feel as though I will dash ahead and feel no apprehension as to the consequences. It seems as though we ought to stumble on some way of earning a livelihood so that we can pay our necessary expenses as we feel obliged to make them, Joseph Book is right in his estimate of the effect of low salaries on the matrimonial relations. This extremely mild winter has affected business in Chicago and its lumber tributaries very disastrously. There has been a mud blockade upon the prairies which has been almost without a precedent. You and I from our Newark experience can imagine somewhat of its affect upon business. All of these disappointments seem necessary. We have very many mercies. The children have enjoyed better health than far years before which is a great blessing as my own health cannot be relied upon at all. I have frequent sick days when I cannot sit up at all. As these come most frequently when there is the greatest pressure of work it does not seem to be the part of wisdom to try to do without a hired girl especially if we keep a man. WE have thought somewhat of discharging both but James thinks we cannot force a living in that way so we trudge along in the old ruts. We have worked in Saugatuck for the last three days moving the children again. This is the third time within the last year. Their carpet has been put down four times. We supposed they could remain where they were during this term but Friday eve after dark came the word that they must leave immediately. So Saturday morn. we commenced work in good earnest and concluded that this time we would be independent. So we scrubbed out our onion barn thoroughly and fitted up the upper story for their reception. They can be very comfortable there during the warm weather. The lower floor will furnish the little girls a good play room in wet weather. The barn looks very neat with its white curtains and hanging baskets. I told them they can learn just as good lessons as if they issued from a palace. Now our dinner work is over. The day is very bright and the breeze is brisk enough to make the white caps roll in majestically. The lake is like a dear friend to me. It seems to possess a soul. I like its influence on the tastes of the children. You ask at what season of the year it would be most safe for you to come West. Saugatuck has been quite free from ague for the past 2 or 3 years. The healthfulness of the place is very much improved. I think you would be safe enough in coming whenever you could be best spared at home. I wish you could all come and spend the entire season as an invalid's retreat. If you did not like our quarters the little house next beyond us is vacant and I presume could be rented for a trifle. We could set you up in housekeeping with the furniture the children now have in Saugatuck. The same little cook stove we bought far aunt Lillie. We have milk, eggs vegetables &c in abundance. In this way you could lead a very quiet life which I am sure you all need. I believe it would be far better for you all than any medical prescriptions. We ignore company as much as possible. Your nerves have been so far overtaxed for some many years that your all need an entire change. You ought to go back to primitive abandonment and, if need be, ride on horseback like the little girls do "ala clothes pin." Ha ha, how would you like that? The school will close about the middle of June. You speak of taking one of the girls back with you. I cannot get James' consent to this arrangement but presume he could be won over. When I sent for the catalogue of the Penn Yan Academy last Spring I was thinking quite seriously of sending Grace to you. I was anxious that she should see more of her Aunt Lillie and I thought that she might assist you much in the capacity of errand girl. But then came Gracie's sickness, James' resignation, the burning of your store, Lillie's uninterrupted decline and I felt obliged to abandon the project. Now I am trying to put her wardrobe in as respectable condition as I can with but slight expense. I wish to have her clothing comfortable for the absence of a year if it should seem best. Mrs. Pond is now at work making over the plaid silk dress I wore to teach in Philadelphia. I have tried to crowd a good deal of sewing this winter. I do not know whether Grace would help you much or not. She is a fleet child in errands and could take many steps for you in the house. Her music has been entirely dropped for a long time. You must have good pianists there. What are the usual terms per quarter. I would like to have her take some lessons in drawing. I do not wish to have her overtaxed in the school room She had been accustomed to much outdoor exercise. I think half a day in the school room, music and drawing extra, would be all her strength would bear. I do not know what Mabel would do without Grace. The latter is a great favorite among all the little folks. They seem to think no game perfect without her. I have always favored her playing with those younger than herself rather than older. One of the greatest faults of western society is pushing little children forward socially in advance of their years. I am sorry Mother's health is so poor, though I presume she welcomes every pain as a blessed forerunner of the even that will reunite her with her beloved Lillie. --- Sabbath eve Feb 26 1878 My dear Grace: I do not know whether I will have time to write anything to you before I must send this letter to the office or not. The mail route has been changed and the mails leave so early in the morning that it is very inconvenient far country people. Farm work progresses as it does usually at this season. The want of a barn makes the work much more perplexing than it would be if we had a sufficient shelter for our products. The onions are all doom in the Saugatuck barn. Mabel and I helped a good deal on the topping. Papa will ship them as soon as he can attend to them. The potatoes are not all dug yet. The buckwheat is partly threshed and the apples partly picked. If the weather is favorable we hope to have products better secured in a few days. I notice that all the papers seem very hopeful for a revival of business in many departments. We already feel this and prices for farm products are increasing. Your papa feels quite encouraged and we have some light hope of selling a lot or two more in Saugatuck between this time and midsummer. If we can do so, I think your papa will try to build the long desired barn. I will try to help when I can. I live, but I cannot work as unceasingly as I have done in the past. My strength seems to be very rapidly failing me. I must have absolute zest - I hope you are improving your opportunities in the best possible manner. We never know in this world of change when our opportunities for self improvement may be brought to an end. Anna and Mabel walked over to see Eda Flagg today. Eda's mother is very sick. She has been overtaxed on that new farm. Eda's hands and heart are full. She has a family of nine for whom to labor. Mrs. Mason is very low with consumption. You papa visited him today. Mrs. Thomas Wallin called here Friday. Jessie has returned from her eastern visit and is again in school. Luman Wallin is in Chicago attending commercial Coll. He boards with his Uncle Thomas. Charles Thompson is dead, and his mother is sick. We had a wedding here last week. Miss Elma Collins was married in our parlor to a Mr. Granger from Coldwater, I think. I had to repeat my part in "Seven times seven" one evening last week. This is the only time I have been to Saugatuck in a long time. I hope you will try to help your Aunt and Uncle as much as possible about the house. I am finishing drying apples for my usual barrel. I hope they will sell a little better than they have done for the two past years. Uncle White has not come yet, neither do we hear from him. I hope he will come this week on account of Anna's being at home. It would be hard work for me to entertain them with such an unskilled cook as Mary. Mary is strong and pleasant and I would like to keep her all winter if I could. God bless you and make you a blessing to all Love, Mama --- Saugatuck Mich. April 15th 1878 Dear Mother Porter: Mary is getting the children ready for school, so I will write a few lines for her. Your letter came and since that, one from Mr. Mills containing a draft for $150. Accompanying this she will send a receipt as you desire showing that it comes from Father Porter's estate. It is a great disappointment to us to have our onion crop sell so low. We hoped to meet all our expenses with the proceeds of this crop even at a low price but we did not expect to give them away. Our heaviest expense is for hired help as neither of us have strength to do all that seems necessary to keep things moving. We can get almost any thing we want on credit, but do not like to indulge this deceitful luxury as May day will come, and then we never feel very independent while under obligations to others for goods or labor. We do not however wish to curtail your income to the least inconvenience. As age comes on you will need more means to secure the necessities. of life. We can with health, work through our disappointments. We fully appreciate your kindness in sending this money at this time and hope it will not discommode you. We are all in usual health and remain truly and affectionately yours, James F. Taylor

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 324-327 Saugatuck, June 1, 1878 Dear sister Hattie; Your letter reached us last night. We are crowding our house and farm work as fast as possible. The chimney is done and the cistern is finally completed after very many perplexities and delays which we will talk about when we meet. We have recd. our returns from our onion crop in place of 2 or 3 hundred dollars on the least sweet we received between 9 and 10 dollars. This week we have met with another very heavy loss, almost like burying one of the family. Our dear pony Blucher, who has served us so faithfully for seventeen years died very suddenly Thursday night. We had planned so many pleasant rides with him when you come. We will manage as well as we can and try to hire a gentle horse to use while you are here if we can secure one. I cannot see why God should take this beloved animal from us just now when we seem to need him so much. My strength is so slight that I cannot endure much. I fainted when he died and James and the hired man had to bring me all the way from the barn, or leave me out on the ground in the rain. James is very patient and submissive, does not murmur in the least, but we do not know which way to turn without our horse. We have borrowed our neighbor's horse with which Grace will post this letter. Perhaps you can ascertain whether Roots Curriculum is used by the music teacher in Penn Yan or not. this is the book our children here studied but if it is not used there we would like to keep it here for Willie to use. Anna is down at Saugatuck with her class preparing for graduation. They wish to have their pictures taken this forenoon for the Principal. I must send down her nice brown dress to her. She is a dear good girl and helps us bear our burden. Mr. Sutton the Principal is going to leave very soon for Matamorus, Mexico. He has recd. a government appointment there with a salary of $2600.00. This crowds the scholars as the class must be pushed through in a shorter time than was anticipated. With my many thanks for your untiring generosity to us all. Your aff sister, Mollie --- Dining-room Nov. 16,1879 My dear sister Hattie: All have been to church excepting myself. Immediately after dinner yesterday, Herbert took our new horse Flora, and his sister Mary and Mabel and went to Graffschap where his father resides Mary cannot remain with me any longer, as she is needed at home. It is later Sabbath eve and Herbert and Mabel have returned. Mabel went with them to the Dutch Church. Their services are so lengthy that the poor child was almost wearied out with them especially as they were in an unknown tongue. Anna is home from her school but must be off again early in the morning. I think she likes her school and as far as we know is giving good satisfaction. She thanks you for your little poem. We do not as yet see any evidence of golden locks or azure eyes, but perhaps these have not as yet developed. I must thank you also for the little scrap for me entitled "Daily Bread." We have not been as comfortably prepared for Winter in many years as we now are. We have quite a good supply of groceries, all paid for, with which to commence the inclement season. Last Monday James paid $100 for another horse. We could not get along with such a feeble team. She looks very much like our old Blucher and reminds us of him in many of her movements. Yesterday Anna and I nearly finished a nice horse blanket for her. We made it out of the best of the old church carpet for which we paid a higher price than any other bidder. We wish to make one like it for Jennie as soon as we can. I have excused myself from the S. S. lesson for this time and the remainder of the family are studying the lesson aloud. This is confusing for me. James attended lectures in N. Haven during the winter of 1 856 and remained there until the last of June 1857. The principle lectures which he attended were delivered by Drs, Dana Taylor and Goodrich. Noah Porter was not there as prominent, as he has since become and he did not form his acquaintance. He also attended some lectures on medicine and elocution. These lectures were of a very practical character and have been of great value to him. I cannot tell you the name of Amelia's friend. Her visit was very short and hurried and I had my time closely occupied to make it as pleasant as possible as James was away, and we were in confusion, with the painting the floors of the middle house. The State Pomological Society meets at Allegan the 2nd 3rd and 4d' of December and I should very much like to accompany James if I could, but the probabilities of so doing are slight. Mrs. Sailor was a very intimate friend of Susan Ann Pratt whose sister Kate was one of your playmates. If I can go, I will try to make the enquiries. We are much gratified that Grace has passed the Regent's examinations. Such examinations are very profitable. We do not know much about the Douglas school. Willie is too much needed at home to be spared. He is experiencing the truthfulness of the scripture, "It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth." This pen is an old scratchy one. It tries my patience. Mollie --- Lake Ridge Dec. 8, 1879 Sister Hattie, We returned from Allegan on Friday. The day was pleasant for Dec. We were there three nights and three dark days. The weather was very unpleasant most of the time & yet it was a relief to get away from home and see the outside world. Willie and Herbert kept house for themselves, they did very well. Good order prevailed in kitchen & pantry when we returned. We are having a very open winter. The ground is not frozen and farmers are husking corn and plowing their ground. Willie commenced going to school this morning. He does not like the Douglas School or rather attachments are in Saugatuck and Douglas School does not seem like home: but there is no other way at present. He will go with the horse and take Mabel with him. We have been planning to make Grace a Christmas present, and think that as she has considerable writing to do, we will unite our mites and delegate you to buy a gold pen for her. One similar to your own, would be very appropriate. I think you told me that yours cost $1.50. You need not let her know of this until Christmas. If you know of any thing more useful to her we are willing to turn our mites into something else. Mary & I are greatly pressed to know what to do for our classes in the Sunday School. Since Mrs. Wright went away about July 1st . I have taken her class by their request. I am engaged for another wedding to take place about Christmas. The lady is a member of the church & has been in the Sabbath School every since we came to Saugatuck. Frequently such persons want my photograph. Mary has had a class of young men, who seem to be unwilling to give her up, although she has not been there for two months. We have concluded to give these young men & maidens each of our photographs, if you can procure them in time & at reasonable rates, as the most appropriate thing. For this purpose we must trouble our friends a little. We can not get them here as there is no artist in town. If Mr. Mills will attend to it for us we will have them printed from the old negative in Dr. Mills possession. It will require two dozen of Mary's & two of mine. I do not remember what you told me he charged for those you sent to us last winter, but if he can furnish us a doz, we will send a P.O. order for them and the pen alluded to above. We also want one photograph of Grace from the negative taken in 1871. This is for Mrs. Names who had a little girl about Gracie's age. They were very intimate and Mrs. H. wants the photographs of her child's playmates about the age when her girl died. As we have only one of Grace taken at that time, we would like another for that purpose. Love to all James --- Douglas, Mich. Dec. 25, 1875 Bro. E. W. Mills Dear Friend: Your letter and the photographs came on the 23. We put you to much trouble but did not know how to avoid it. We never have given away many and this seemed to be the best thing we could do for the young people. We have had four weddings during Dec. the 4th came off about one hour since in our parlor. Grace knows the young man - Mr. Cornelius Zwemer & Katie Kruisenga of Holland City. We were all over to the church at the Christmas tree last evening. It was late when we reached home. Some of us will write the particulars of the occasion. I am going to town after dinner which is near at hand to help clean up the rubbish and prepare the church for its accustomed uses, I will include a P. 0. order in this letter for the photographs. [The rest of the letter was written by Mary Taylor.] James wishes me to add a line to this while he gets ready for town. Hattie's last letter was handed me in church last eve and I ready it very hastily while there. We are very sorry to learn of your continued ill health. Hope you may end relief ere long. I very much fear many times that you are doing too much for our daughter, Grace. You have so many and unintermitting demands upon your sympathy and purse that it seems wrong that you should have the additional burden of our child. Of course we cannot lavish upon her the advantages which you so generously bestow, but we can do for her, as we do for the other children. I hope you will utilize the child in every way possible so as to make her presence in your family of some shadow of advantage to you. The best way for the young to be prepared for life's struggles is to know something of them experimentally while in youth. No amount of solid work, of which Grace's strength would admit, would in the least displease any of us. Our primrose which came from Hattie furnished three more blossoms for the young bridge this morning. It had many other buds which I hope will soon open. The bracket saw came all right and Willie would insist on getting it ready for use, last night before he retired. All of these articles add to your cares. James is ready "Merry Christmas" to all. Mary P. Taylor --- Lake-ridge dining-room Mon, morn. Jan. 26, 1880 My dear Gracie There is so much confusion that I can scarcely collect my thoughts at all. William Drout has just come in with a pair of small ox-bows with which to break the young steers and Willie Taylor is flourishing them around the occupants of the room in most Lordly style. He is so full of pranks we can scarcely live in peace with him. I sometimes think we will have to send him away from home to get him humanized. Now he is making most unearthly cries in imitation of unsubdued calves. Now he is changing so as to imitate all the outcries of the exasperated breaker. We can hardly live with him, neither can we live without him. Mrs. Perry was taken home Thursday. She is seventy four years of age and is a marvel of a well-preserved woman though she has failed much since the illness which she suffered about two years since. She is well skilled with the needle and can turn her hand to almost anything. She did quite a little sewing finishing up for Anna. Saturday we planned out a pollonaise for Anna out of the maroon empress cloth skirt which Aunt Hattie sent me several years ago. We are making her a combination suit of this and black mohair. It will be very pretty and durable. We recd. your last letter. If you take only one music lesson a week perhaps you can review some of your past ones more thoroughly. I am anxious to have you do what you do in music very thoroughly, so that you can have it to rely upon as one means of self-support. Mrs. Perry says that Belle Barnard is now in Englewood, near Chicago, with her aunt Mrs. Ensign. she has pushed ahead in her music until she is now a highly accomplished pianist. After the family left here she took up her music with a persistent energy and is now reaping the reward of her efforts. While here she was very stubborn about her practicing and tried all of her friends to the utmost, especially her frail patient Auntie Ensign, who stood anxious to teach her all that she herself knew, which was a very great deal. Belle is now taking lessons of a gentleman teacher. Mrs. Ensign has all the pupils she can teach in the immediate vicinity of her present home. Mrs. Perry says that Belle is far in advance of Lizzie Johnson. Mrs. P. thinks that Mr. Barnard's family have lost their nice farm. This may have energized Belle to do her very best. There is no competent teacher here as Lizzie Wallin soon leaves on account of her health. Her throat troubles her very much. She is extremely careless. Willie is ready for school. Good bye Mamma

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 340-343 Mon. forenoon Feb. 2, 1880 Dear sister Hattie, This morning I finished copying the letter of Cousin Isaac Porter to Kate and returned it to you. I had not time to drop even a word to yourself. I have long been wishing to mention the name of a "Dr. Fenton" to you who formerly resided in Kalamazoo but who was engaged in a drug stare in Penn Yan last autumn. A Miss Hubbard who formerly did dress making; in Saugatuck made us a short visit late in the autumn. Soon after leaving; here her health so much failed her that she was obliged to give up all labor and as her home was not very pleasant she accepted the invitation of her aunt who resided in Mass. to take up her abode with her. Her aunt lived in affluence and Miss Hubbard had the very best of medical treatment and of rest and tender nursing that wealth and affection could bestow. For some time her health seemed to improve but some new danger threatening it, which it was feared the climate was aggravating, she felt compelled to leave Mass. and fled to Conn. She was there similarly situated, welcomed into the household of interested relatives. She consulted the best of Conn. physicians and gave their remedies a thorough trial with but unsatisfactory results. Quite disheartened she again returned to Mich. Her difficulties were chronic and she seemed to suffer from a variety o ailments. Her spine was much diseased; her lungs very sensitive and Eastern physicians considered her almost a certain victim of paralysis, at almost any moment. Finally her father heard of this Dr. Fenton who then resided in Kalamazoo and with great reluctance she was induced to try his remedies. In short she feels that he has helped her far more than any other physician. She feels that he understands her difficulties far better than the Eastern physicians did. As we had other company here the same day she was here (one Saturday) and as we were very much interrupted in many ways I could not ask her as many questions as I wished. I do not know whether he is a regularly educated physician or not or whether he would be dubbed by M.D.'s as a Quack. Miss Hubbard seemed to feel great confidence in his skill respecting herself. I asked about his charges. She replied that they were moderate. I think she visited us about the time you were feeling quite hopeful respecting the success of your Rochester treatment. I feel very loathe to say anything to a stranger but I was sufficiently interested to take his name on a card. His address is: Dr. E. Fenton, Penn Yan. The lady I spoke of is Miss Emma L. Hubbard, Kibbie PO Van Buren Co., Mich. She says he compounds his own medicine and her experience has been that the prescriptions which he put up were far more efficacious than those which other druggists furnished. I think Miss Hubbard's health has never been very firm. It is five years since she considered herself an invalid. She is a person of most indomitable energy and always inclined to overdo. I should not be surprised to hear that she was prostrate at any time. Still during the past winter she worked at her trade very steadily. I do wish you might find some relief, for you all. It pains me much to hear of dear "E.W.'s" [her sister's husband] sufferings. He must be very careful of himself. If Gracie's practicing tires either one of you, let the child stop her music or practice somewhere else. Make her as useful to yourselves as possible. Mollie --- Wed. morn deb. 4 [1884] Dear sister Hattie, Your letter reached me yesterday, we are very grad to hear that you are all somewhat better. I have felt very anxious about :you all for some time past. The weather here is now more favorable for health than it has been much of the winter. Last night it commenced snowing after dark, and now Willie says there is about one foot of it all over the ground. This will revive business if it does not drift badly and will remain a few days. Many of the lumbermen have been idle. James has a great deal of learning to do in gathering the materials for his barn. he has engaged a pile of lumber at Mr. Henry Moore's mill for $60.00. Yesterday he was down there assorting it, Part of it is to [be] drawn around the basket factory there to be run through the planes and part of it drawn home as it is. William has been drawing manure from the Douglas tannery to scatter around the trees ill the new peach orchard. He finished the job yesterday. The cutter is down in the new barn where it has been stored for repainting. James will have to take them down to school in the large sleigh and go on to Saugatuck and get it. --- Thurs. Mon Feb. 12 Dear sister Hattie. This line has been a long time unfinished. Now the children are to be off in a few moments James and William are very much hurried on the teaming for the barn. The snow is nearly all gave again., The weather is very mild and spring-like-had a copious rain yesterday P.M. Monday morn, James took a barrel to Hamilton for which I send the bill. This is my Christmas present to you postponed until Easter. I will write more about it when I have time. James bought Mary Skinner back with him. She is going to do some plain sewing for me, brought her own new machine and only charges one $2.00 a week. I am piecing out a pair of pants for Willie which we wish to make immediately. The last mentioned person is nearly as large as his papa. His present unmentionables are almost air-tights. Anna expects to go to Allegan this coming Saturday with Mr. Cummins daughter. The mohair which we used with the maroon skirt was the old overskirt to the black dress I bought for Anna in Chicago the first season she lived with me. My own dress pattern is not cut into as yet as I do not need it this Spring. It is not my custom to "cut up a ship to make a plow." The little poem is to help Grace on her spelling. I hope she will preserve it as it is all the copy I have. I send scraps of the dyed cloth. I did not attempt to change the shades of either. They both look very nicely indeed. I used Leamon's Analine dyes 25 cts per bottle or package. I do not know how permanent they will be as I never used them before. It took but very little trouble to dye with them --- Sabbath eve Feb. 22, 1880 Dear sister Hattie: We are greatly rejoiced that you are all improving in health. I hope dear E. W. `s business caress will not lead him to unnecessary exposure of health. Building a-barn so far from borne will be both perplexing and expensive. The stagnation in farm property seems to have "touched bottom." as the Westerners say. There have been more sales of real estate here this winter than there had been before in some time. We do not yet find purchasers for our village lots, but do not despair. We expect to hear favorable returns from our onions soon. When these reach us we will inform you. We feel hopeful about getting a good start on our barn without incurring so burdensome a debt as never to be able to discharge it. Were it not for this barn building we could reduce the mortgage a little this spring. I feel very tired tonight as indeed I always do Sabbath morning. Tell Gracie I have worn her nice ear-cap for the past two Sabbaths and like it very much. Mrs. Dune says it is very becoming. This week the ladies of our church hope to collect a barrel of clothing for the Negroes in Kansas. The Mrs. Haviland who takes so much interest in them stopped with us formerly in Chelsea. I have been looking around somewhat with Anna to see what we better send. If I had time I could make many comfortable garments out of scraps of material. Anna wore her Maroon and black suit today. Et looks very nicely indeed. Willie also had on his new pants and the striped mitten:. Anna finished for himself recently out of the yard spun from our own sheep's backs. I wore the brown mittens you sent also the felt skirt you sent some time ago. I have just finished repairing it and have put it into a yoke at the top to lengthen it. It will last me a long time for nice, if no accident happens to it. The clothing and fabrics of various kinds which you have sent me from time to time save many dollars of expense. There is nothing which I cannot utilize sooner or later. The red flannel you sent like Gracie's skirts I matched here and relined Gracie's old waterproof cape and hood and Mabel looks very comfortable in it. I took a flannel sheet which was sent to me which belonged to our own mother - colored it a pretty garnet color and Mary and I have made Mabel two pairs of drawers from it. It was so much worn through the middle that it was not practicable to patch it. Yesterday we worked very hard and got an excellent job done on the Bismark brown poplin dress for Anna. She will soon have a very stylish looking garment out of it. We cannot make it up simply as the material is so cut up. We are making the skirt and overskirt together. It has a shined front and the old folds have been assorted over and bound into ruffles. These are put on two together separated by a fold so as to break the monotony. I had linings and &c from the abundant stores bestowed upon us by your bounty. I hope you will put just as little expense and work on Gracie's clothes as possible this Spring. "E. W." will have heavy expenses out this spring with the barn building and all the other repairs of a farm. This is one of the drawbacks of farm life, so much money and labor have to be expended in outbuildings. Team is here, your aff sister Mary P. T.

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 351-354 Thurs. P. M. May 27, 1880 Dear Sister Hattie: I have unexpectedly had a few moments of leisure this P.M. which I have improved by copying coz. Isaac's letter. We have all worked very hard to get ready for several friends whom we were expecting today, but they will not come until tomorrow. I regret this as I was intending to have Mabel come home this noon to entertain the 10 year old Hatch girl from Illinois. Tomorrow Mabel is to be examined and I cannot afford to keep her out for company. but if the day is pleasant the little girls can entertain themselves until Mabel comes home. Last night she came home bringing between two and three dozen pollywogs in her dinner pail. They are in a safe place for examination. They are odd looking creature with their turtle shaped bodies and their long, spear like tails. some of them are very small indeed. We proposed to her to put them in our own ditch but she objects fearing that they may float away. Interrupted. Mr. and Mrs. Firman have just been here for a short business call. She brought her dear little boy baby along. It is now almost time for tea. It has been a cool day and my strength has not failed me as much as it often does. Tell Gracie that Mr. Mason came here this morn. on a sad errand. His little Jennie is dead. She died this morn at five o'clock. Her mother died last autumn. He wishes James to attend the funeral. She was his oldest child and only daughter. The family are very poor. We had a Chicago book seller here to dinner. I hope you will have Grace help you all that she can during these busy housecleaning days. She must know how to work. I do hope you will try to prevent such a dangerous sickness as you had last summer in consequence of over exertion. It seems as though you ought not to be perfectly overrun with company at the dedications. I hope your church will be acceptable in every way. I hope it will not be too expensive or too large for the needs of the congregation. How about the debt? I hope it is not large. I suppose I must soon stop as I have promised to help James re-fit his larger curculio trap tonight. It has to be done out-doors as it is too large to get into the house. We shall value our barn very much for such things, as well as for ordinary barn purposes. We hope Mr. Brown can come soon to build the wall. Farm work does not move very rapidly as we have so many rains. In doors we try to make all of our work bend to the farm business. There are many "chores" to do after the main labors of the day are finished. Hugh and Lammie are both good boys and Willie works like an old man. I am anxious to get his chamber, so that he can occupy it with all of his boyish treasures. if l can possibly I wish to have it finished so that it can be lathed this summer. I suppose you have returned from Elmira ere this. I hope you have secured your long sought monument. You will feel better satisfied when dear Lillie's grave is marked in a becoming and permanent way. You will not feel it is necessary to keep it ornamented with fresh flowers at the expense of your slender strength. Friday morn - I helped James put his trap in order last eve. and as it was cool and still, we paired the early cherry trees near the house. I am learning to detect the sly enemies. They roll themselves up into an irregular shape and look and feel like a crumb of bark. I found one walking about. They are very deceptive in their habits. They first attack the early fruit. It is now after breakfast. I have been assisting James this morn. when it is windy we cannot manage the trap as it is so unwieldy. We are visiting the Early Hale varieties. I cannot write but a few moments as when the sun is up nicely the curculio fly. We sweep off the trap into a dust pan and burn up its contents. We expect our company this P. M. Tomorrow P.M. we must attend Jennie's funeral so our days are very full of duties. We are more and more delighted with our pleasant house in spite of all its discouragements and tails. Willie is spending every odd moment tinkering up something in the frame of the new barn. We mistrust that it is a boat of some sort. We are very much annoyed by rats. One of Anna's cunning little ducks disappeared night before last. We think old rats made a dainty meal of him. Last night his lordship was served with a steel trap and we mistrust that his midnight lunch was his own leg, and the trap was dragged under the platform some distance. When we get the new part clear of boxes and barrels we hope to have a general rat and mice warfare. The air is very fresh and nice this morn. I think the curculio trappers will be obliged to take a noonday nap, as it is too fatiguing to try to keep moving during such a long day. James says the new orchard is full of sets. The strawberries have blossomed abundantly. The choicer kinds were badly winter killed as the weather was so open. The Wilson is the staunch old reliable. Mabel is getting ready for school. Monday noon an agent for some sort of fire extinguisher and tree and garden pump took dinner with us. His implement was very nice. We think it would just suit Uncle Mills and ourselves. James is going to investigate the matter a little, more soon. Have you anything of the kind? Was Uncle Mills' barn painted, if so what color? Our structure is already insured. Our house agent came along and James thought best to have the business done at once. We feel quite exposed to lightning. Several trees have been struck along this shore this spring. Capt. Reid is erecting a patent windmill for a water drawer. This will ornament this lakeshore. Much love to all, your Mollie --- July 4, 1880 Dear sister Hattle; I will dash right into business and tell you of the "paradise currant." I know little of it excepting that it is a house plant quite ornamental, bearing clusters of red berries in the winter resembling currants. Mrs. Henry Bird gave it to us. It came from her brother-in-law who resides in Ill. and is very fond of rare plants. I think it never grows more than a foot high. Ours is either dead or nearly so from want of care, I presume. There is little use for me to attempt to do much with flowers of any kind while we are situated just as we are at present. There are too many kinds of stock that have access to the house to have many plants safe. Our horses are all very tame and I almost think they could be called right into the house. I have been so much accustomed to little vexations of this kind that they do not annoy me as they once did. Then too you know all the fowls have the entire range of the grounds around the house. The barn progresses very slowly. It is impossible to secure the requisite help to hasten matters. The roof-boards are party on. The clover is partly cut and James is very anxious to get the barn in condition to store the hay and save the stacking. There are so many hindrances and unexpected delays. James is away frequently on his various duties. Friday we were both away six miles distant to attend a council called to recognize the new church organized there last April. It is purely a country church. We did not reach home until 11;30 P.M. I can not endure such late hours and long rides in the scorching sun. Today James has administered the ordinance of baptism by immersion for the first time. Senator N. W. Lewis was immersed in the lake at Pier Cove. James said it all passed off pleasantly and satisfactorily a far as he knew. I do not know how long James will feel it to be his duty to preach to the new organization. It seems as though he is almost worked to death. this problem of over-work is a great enigma to me. Does the Lord demand such super human exertions of us all? For myself I should be quite willing to nestle in Sleepy Hollow for an indefinite period. Tomorrow the "4th" is to be celebrated in Saugatuck in a very imposing way if the posters are to be relied upon. There will be re-enacted the usual scramble for dimes by the various organizations of the town as well as by sundry private individuals, both adults and boys. Of course the Cong. Church through its two Societies, young and old, and the W.C.T.U. must be represented. I confess to a great distaste for these methods of earning money. They are suicidal to the health and nerves of those who play the "laboring oar." Mabel has made a jelly cake for the "No Names." This means the variety of young folks. Anna has made two chocolate cakes - one for herself to carry and one for Martha. Mabel staid down after S. S. today, as she wished to attend the S. S. concert in the evening. It is to be both floral and patriotic. We have not done anything for this concert. It seems as though we have no strength for it. I still help my S. S. class. I cannot see my way clear to give it up just yet. Now about that letter of Coz. Isaacs. I cannot find any such letter. I cannot give any very thorough search until we can have the barn as a place for storing grains and the things that belong in barns. I keep just as few things in the new part as I can on account of the rats and mice which we cannot exterminate. I expect to be in a clutter the most of the summer. In the parsonage we had a study. Now we have so many papers and pamphlets &c coming in all the time that I feel utterly discouraged. James has so many public duties that his mail matter is heavy. I cannot tell which things are of value and which not, so there is a great chaos. I will try to find the letter when I can and if I can. We have been in great disorder in this respects and many others since we came to the farm and part of the time while we lived in the parsonage. I am very anxious to have something done towards getting Willie's room partitioned off this summer if possible. Now he sleeps in Mabel's play room. Mabel sleeps on the couch in the parlor. Lammy and Hugh occupy the bed-room off from the dining room. Willie has been tumbled around all of his life. I think he would be very systematic in many things if he had the opportunity. It seems as though I had worked hard enough to bring about different results but God knows I have not the strength of an Amazon. I hope Grace will acquire habits of order that will remain by her through life. I often think of the pleasant chamber which I occupied when a girl and its two nice presses. Then I knew where to put my hands on everything in the house. Now the chores are done and we must look over the S. S. lesson. Mollie ' --- [postmark July 22, 1880] Enclosure, poem "Over the Bridge" Dear sister Hattie: This little poem has been in my writing desk since before Lillie died. I took my pen one Sab. afternoon to copy it for her - -when I thought of the poor paralyzed Mrs. Ellis so friendless and I spent my stolen moments in writing to her instead of Lillie. As it was dear Lillie had already crossed the bridge and her precious body was waiting for interment. It does not seem hardly right for me to spend any of my precious moments of the Sabbath in writing letters. For some reason I feel very tired when the Sabbath closes. I must rest a little after dinner or I am sure to suffer with one of my frantic head aches. It is now time to study our S. S. lesson for next Sabbath. Lately, we do not do this as thoroughly as we did in the long winter evenings. James is so tired. Today he has been to Ganges to preach to the new organization there. He went on horseback. It is very fatiguing after his hard weekly work. He must do as he feels right about this matter. Mr. Sailor of Allegan preached for us again. This is his third consecutive Sabbath here. I think the Church will probably engage him. Have I told you that Susan Ann Pratt is dead? She died very suddenly of heart disease last Winter. I know little else about her. If. Mr. Sailor moves here I presume can learn more particulars. Now I must stop. Tuesday morn James has just announced that Hugh is harnessing the horse with which he will go to Saugatuck for lumber. We are intensely busy. there is so much to do. I do not know where to begin. We have two carpenters here putting the siding on the barn. It is very hard for us in the house to have such a large family and so much fruit to market at the same time. We have tried in every way to have this barn built before the strawberries ripened but could not succeed. Berries here ripened earlier than usual this Spring. Yesterday we shipped 8 crates of cherries in town. The horses are here. We recd. your letter last night. We are very much delighted with Gracie's success. I think she must have studied hard, to merit this paper. I find I am getting very hungry to see the child, but I know she is far better cared for by you than she could possibly be by us. I think her dress will be very pretty. Hope you can secure a blue which will not fade. Some are so pretty yet so unsubstantial in the sun. I copy this letter, send back the original. I thought I had returned them all. I have looked a little for the one you speak of but cannot find it. I do not despair. I am sorry you have so much trouble with those bugs. We too are very much annoyed by several pests. James is getting on the wagon. Willie's boat is launched. It has not yet been christened. Affy your humble servant Moll

Source: SDHS newsletter pg. 363-366 Sabbath P.M. July 25, 1880 Dear sister Hattie, I have just finished reading the two notices you sent me respecting the Presbyterian Church. Such histories are intensely interesting, exciting very conflicting emotions. If my whole married life has not been spent in labors for feeble churches perhaps I could feel differently. I tender you all my most sincere congratulations, hoping that your magnificent temple may be accepted of the Lord. But the end is not yet. How few realize through what stress and strain such structures rise. Can either pastor or people rebound from such over-exertion to conduct the worship of such a temple with that vigor and heartiness which seems necessary to complete success Our Church at Saugatuck is undergoing repairs and there was no service there today. This left me at liberty to go with James to his appointment. The congregation was good for these exhausting harvest days. It is purely a rural congregation. I was delighted with the serene beauty of the landscape as viewed from the school house windows. Can it be God's will that a church of our order can add any elements of good to that community? Is this effort to be permanent or merely transient? Is there real room for a vigorous organization there? These are vital questions. As for myself I feel so worn that I hardly know how to perform the small Church duties which I now attempt. Indeed the ride today was better than I feared as I was fighting off a sick head ache all the morning. One thing is certain, this charge is not of James' seeking, whatever may come of it. It is too far from home for a pastoral labor. The country has its snares each section peculiar to itself. There is one organ in this school house. I could not help thinking of our almost silent one and of Gracie's deft fingers so far away. I hope she may develop into a strong cultured and unselfish womanhood. Here there is a broad field for the exercise of every species of feminine talent. Anna is becoming very self-reliant in various ways. In this luxurious age girls must be taught self-­abnegation, both by precept and by example. A busy week opens before us. "Help" is very scarce and work crowds. Tues morn.7:30 o'clock It is quite early as you see. Flora is harnessed to go to Saugatuck. I have been out in the blackberry patch. This is our first picking. I have ten quarts of enormous berries to send to town. ' We had twelve to tea last night and eleven to breakfast this morn. Mr. Dunton and an assistant are painting the barn as far as it is finished. The sheep shearer is here. We hope to get the sheep relieved of their warm ulsters before Christmas. It has been impossible to get this done sooner. We have a little rain almost every night. This keeps the wool damp. I hope to have better facilities for farm work after a while. When Gracie goes to Prattsburgh I hope she will take a cooling drink from the ancestral well of the old homestead and look down into its depths. I suppose Grandpa Porter superintended its construction. I should love to spend a few days roaming around familiar haunts. When I was last there I saw but few changes in comparison with the new western towns. Now I must stop and attend to many things. Your aff Mary --- [Fall 1880] {The opening part of the letter is missing) I should have sent these recipes immediately on the reception of your letter but we could not remember where we found them. finally I happened to think that Jacob was living with us then and that we might have found the one we used in his book. James was at Saugatuck yesterday and found one of the books in the drug store from which he copied it. I am very stupid today, have not been to church or S. S. in a long time. I gladly avail myself of every opportunity I can secure whether suitable or unsuitable for absolute rest. I am very sorry that Mr. Mills and yourself suffer from such long continued ill health. Have any of your friends had any experience in the use of "Compound Oxygen?" I saw this remedy advertised in the S. S. Times and sent for the treatise respecting it just the day before our horse died so suddenly. This supply for two months costs fifteen dollars. It seems like an exorbitant price. I have never had much faith in making the stomach such a receptacle of multifarious drugs. Perhaps this treatment might help you. It does not seem as though it could injure you. Anna returned from Chicago Tuesday morn. She enjoyed her visit very much but came home tired out with so much sight seeing. She has not been as well as usual this summer. She has engaged to teach school for six months in the "brown school house" on the town line 3 '/2 miles from here. She will commence her school one week from tomorrow. I now have a "raw Dutch girl," Herbert's sister. She cannot stay but a few weeks perhaps three or four at the longest. I am going to slip out of all the work I can. I have a bottle of "Horsford's Acid Phosphate," which I procured from Chicago. This is $1.00 a bottle. I am saving this until the rush of fall work is over a little when I can give it a better trial. If I were you I would live as quietly as possible. Your own ill health as well as that of your husband is sufficient excuse for your withdrawal from society. I value a thorough domestic education so very highly that I should be perfectly satisfied to have Grace discontinue all of her studies excepting her music, and take a thorough drill in culinary arts from Mary in your kitchen. I do not care what accomplish­ments a young girl may possess. She must also have enough knowledge of common domestic affairs to be herself a competent mistress of a modest home. There are several sad examples of incompetency in this respect among my acquaintances here. In this way Grace might gradually learn to be of some practical use in your family and relieve Mary and yourself of some of your cares. She was so very delicate for so many years that I favored outdoor employments rather than indoor ones out of school hours. If she develops into a healthy girl I think it will be due to this, to some extent. I am not ambitious to have her aim at becoming brilliant in society. I like to have her learn to do useful labors in the best possible manner. In this way let her lot in life be high or lowly she will be prepared to be useful and respected. I had very hard work to drag through my daily duties when Ana was gone. The weather was intensely warm and damp and it seemed as though everything would spoil in the cellar. The very ground outdoors was covered in spots mornings with a sort of fine mould. By the utmost vigilance and incessant work I saved most of our stores of caned fruit &c &c Mabel was a great help to me. I hope your head and dear Uncle Mills throat are better. Goodbye Mollie --- Lake ridge Nov. 17 [1880] My dear sister, Your letter, also Gracie's reached us last evening. As usual my note must be short for lack of time. We are in the midst of our second job of butchering. James took Herbert home yesterday. He will remain there until after New Years. Last Sabbath eve we attended the wedding of Miss Emily Gill. One week from today we must attend another that of Hein TeRoller and Nellie Augustine. We recd. our written invitations last eve. Anna is invited to the reception in Holland Friday eve, Dec. 26. I am so busy I do not know what to leave undone. I am anxious to have a dress made over for her, for the occasion, if it can be accomplished. Anna's school is for six months. Some one drives out for her 31/2 miles every Friday afternoon and carries her back Monday morning. Willie and Mabel both drive to school every day. Willie keeps his horse in Henry Bird's barn (formerly Mr. Upson's). Some of these matters will interest Grace more than yourself. Providentially a young girl has come to me. She is only seventeen but can do something. She has been here five days. Have you recd a letter respecting our photographs? These unexpected weddings give us a little money to spend and we would very much like them. This is a poor place for shopping for such classes. When we were in Allegan their "holiday goods" had either not arrived or were not "opened." James taxes are paid, also Herbert. "Pay as we trade" is our motto at the stores. I have had Selina Chadbourne make three hoods for the family and also make over the velvet hat for me which was once Aunt Lillie's. I attended church and S. S. last Sabbath for the first time in many weeks. If there is sleighing Christmas we shall have company here from Allegan i.e. they expect to come. I am sorry you are both such sufferers from physical infirmities. I wish to write you a letter about many things but cannot until after these overcrowded holidays. I wish I could have some leisure for letter writing. Give much love to all. We think Anna is succeeding well in her teaching. I wish to have her save her money carefully for the purpose of helping on her school education. The weather here is cold and stormy. Have had a very rainy autumn. Now it is snowing. Carl came up here last evening in a cutter. When we finish the building work we must block up the cook stove and move it into the dining room. This ought to be crowded into this week. Tell Gracie I thank her very much for her present of the "turkey fund." Willie is ready for school and I must attend to some other things. Goodbye Your Mary --- Dining room Dec. 7, 1880 Dear sister Hattie: It is morning twilight and the children will soon be starting off from school. I though I could secure a few moments for writing last eve but I churned instead. We are having a very tedious storm. It commenced Saturday night and still keeps up its boisterousness. It does not snow very much, but what snow there is seems possessed by a spirit of unrest. So you can imagine that you are in a blinding storm most of the time. The dedication of the new Baptist church in Ganges b miles distant has been postponed at least once in consequence of the weather this winter. We recd. word that it was to be dedicated last Sat. and we had planned to go to it as a family. Sat. morn. was so boisterous we decided to leave Mabel at home to keep the house warm. Then Willie announced that he could not go because he could not get the morning chores done in time to start. He had them all to do as the hired man was away and his papa's finger was so very sore. So James, Anna and I started out in the buggy. We rode along the lakeshore, the waves dashing wildly, the sharp sand cutting our faces like little knives. The storm continued to increase and when we reached Mr. Cummins' Anna's boarding place we dropped her off and returned home. James said he would not have Flora stand out in such a fierce gale. In the afternoon James' finger was much worse. He has suffered with it very much. There has been a bump of inflamed flesh on it as large as an enormous hickory nut. Yesterday the "core" came out and he rested better last night then for several previous nights. We are aware that Christmas is approaching. I cannot get one moment's time for work with reference to it. The winter has sent in with great vigor. We were one or two weeks behind hand in our preparations for it. We are delighted that we crowded the butchering in as we did. The cookstove is still in the "new part." We have a new hired man whom we like very much thus far. My clothes are standing in the tubs, been there since Saturday. How is your deafness? Mine increased very perceptibly. I cannot hear much of the common household conversation. I think it comes partly from aggressive fatigue. Much love to all M. --- Thurs. morn. April 20, 1882 Dear sister Hattie, Your long and very kind letter reached me in due time, as also Gracie's last. I have done very little writing lately as I have felt so miserable. I could not do a thing that could be neglected. Saturday morn James and I went down to Saugatuck to attend to some matters relative to the closing of the Institute and also to consult a physician. I went for this purpose on election day but found no one in his office. On Saturday we dined at Mr. Sailor's and Mrs. S. advised me to consult Dr. Mather, a young physician who has been in Saug. more than a year and who has met with excellent success. We had a long talk with him about my difficulties and he gave me medicine which I am trying to take faithfully. He thinks he can help me somewhat. I felt better yesterday than I have felt before in many days and rested more quietly last night. I shall see him again as soon as I can conveniently go down. I talked with him about Gracie's return and he said that he would try to help me so as to have her remain until the close of her school year. I very much disliked to break in upon her studies when she is doing so well. If we can check this profuse perspiration and I can gain a little strength, I hope to keep up a while longer. My urinary difficulty is a little better. Drafts on me reduce any strength very fast. Mr. Sailor [the new pastor] dined here yesterday. The House clique are working against them and a meeting is called for tonight to consider the situation. James will attend. This will keep him out late again. That clique seem bound to have some disturbance with every minister. I endured the excitement of discussing this matter yesterday better than I had feared. Were I able I would ride over with James and spend the evening with her. I think she is much more fond of society than I am. if l feel strong enough I will try to go, but I'll not attend the meeting. The House family do very little towards the support of a minister but have a great deal of responsibility in looking after all of his shortcomings. What are another's faults to me I've not a vulture's bill To pick at every flaw I see And make it wider still. It is enough for me to know I've follies of my own. And on my heart the care bestow And let my friends alone. As it is almost time for Mabel to start for school I shall not have time to write to Grace, as I had intended. I perceive a great improvement in her letters in various ways. We had a long letter from Anna Tues. night. Most of the students have found boarding places in the village since the loss of the Hall. It will be rebuilt immediately. Two little girls have called for Mabel. Yesterday was her birthday. Her papa gave her a new S. S. School singing book. Let Grace go to school and I will try to keep up. Love to all Mollie --- Mary Taylor died November 19, 1896 of "remittant fever" and the Rev. James Taylor on October 1, 1903. Willie studied horticulture and was head of the Plant Bureau for the U. S Department of Agriculture in Washington, D. C. before his death in 1949. Grace graduated from the Penn Yan Academy in 1884 and then the Philadelphia School of Cookery. She was later assistant principal of the Baltimore Cookery School before returning to the Saugatuck area to take over Lakeridge Farm following the death of her father. She died July 28, 1931. Mabel was a teacher and later worked in the Civil Service examining division at Washington D. C. She died of pneumonia during a visit to her sister November S, 1930. All are buried in Riverside Cemetery, Saugatuck. The house and most of the farm buildings were razed during the 1990s.