Augusta County: Mollie Houser to James Houser, December 15, 1863
Summary:
Mollie complains to her cousin about the digressing mail system, as well as how she has been
occupying her time.
December the 15 1863
Augusta County Virginia
Dear James
I once more seat myself to answer your kind letter of the [unclear: 6] finding me in
good health & hoping the same may be your mutual blessing at this time Cousin I'm very sorry to hear of you all having to fight so much but I don't suppose peace will ever be made without a
great dealof hard fighting yet well Cousin we've been butchering this week & we have been very busy
for some time it has been very Cold but the weather is a great sight warmer than we could expect it to be at this time of year we had a very hard rain yesterday & last night
& it is Clearing off very nice & warm today but I'm afraid its [illeg.] I received a letter from brother William the
other day & he said he had met with bad luck on that march too, he burned a hole in his
quill as large as I was. I think you all were an unfortunate set like the old fellows song
about the britches well I only wish you Could have been here the
other day to have went with me and Kit to a sewing we could not afford a man & had a house full of girls it was at a widows house & we were
very quiet but if you had been there we would turn the house upside
down & put the things out at the window there was one of her
little boys said he fell in love with me & if he had of been a little larger I would
almost fell in love with him but I thought his brother nicer than him well James Kit said she
thinks you had better not break that letter open or you might get a
fuss on hands sure enough she says its not various subjects its all of
one subject but if I was you I would break it open anyhow they can't punish you for that I got one of Kates one
day but Ma would not let me open it but I'm bound to see the next one
Cousin Mat sends her love to you & I haven't seen the other
girls this week but they are well the rest of the family is well Sam
says to tell you that he's still alive I hope
you will excuse the last letter I written to you as I had nothing interesting to write at that
time & did not feel like writing if you send me your Portrait I want you to enclose it
in some way to send it I don't want everybody to see it I've gotten
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several letters that had
been opened & I'm pretty mad about it i don't like for everybody to see them before I do. I don't
know who to blame I heard some time ago that the postmaster was as mean
as to do so but i don't think he opened mine I think it was opened
after it left the office but if [unclear: S] find out it won't
be good for the one that did it we can't always attend the office
ourselves I'm generally Mail Carrier but it don't
suit me to attend always if I had nothing else to do i would like very much to ride to town if
I had a good horse but I generally find something else to do now we all are trying more to
see who Can Make the nicest dresses & I think if the war lasts
long we will all turn to yankees
everyone tries who Can make the nicest Cloth in Augusta &
hats & Caps & most everything that we used to
buy. Kit is letting on to be very much hurt about an old windower
thats about to die we plague her almost to death and she lets on to be in very much distress
about him we must have something to joke eachother about as its all the way we can amuse
ourselves to talk about the widowers & Bachelors well Cousin I will have to Close I'm getting very sleepy & as I'm under the habit of dreaming I might
write my dream to you & if it would be as funny as some I have
dreamed you will have to laugh I now give my most pious regards to Cousin
Monroe & all other inquiring friends & receive my love doubled &
twisted & wove cross bonded.
I remain your ever affectionate Cousin. Amen.
Mollie M Houser
P.S Please look over bad writing & spelling & Correct all mistakes excuse my badly Composed letter & don't think I'm entirely simple with my nonsense being in here for I can't think of anything else write soon again & tell Cousin AM to write too I suppose I'm a little kin to him as well as kit & I like to get acquainted with all my connections nothing more Good Night etc.
