Augusta County: Mollie Houser to James Houser, March 21, 1864
Summary:
Mollie divulges her hesitation of settling as an old maid, meanwhile offering to court
someone on behalf of her cousin James.
March the 21 1864
Augusta County Virginia
Dear Cousin
I seat myself this beautiful evening to answer your kind letter
which finds me in good health & hoping the same may be your Condition of life the
health of the family is as usual & Uncle Peters folks are well John has gotten home at last but he will have to start back before long fifteen days soon
pass off with a soldier Brother William is at home now he gets thirty days by taking a
[unclear: report] but the time appears short with me I want them to get home to stay
but the prospect is not much brighter than it was at first for peace although it may take us on
a surprise like the war did when it first broke out but I'm afraid it
will not surprise us soon well Jimmy I saw more men the other day than
I ever saw before at one place in my life & I only seen a handful to what you all have
seen I always thought I was intended to be an old Maid but I don't
know the other girls is always quarreling with me about the boys
& I tell them that I was intended to be an old maid but I think I will wait until some of them that is older than me gets married first as I'm
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never in a hurry well the army talks of going over into
Pennsylvania in the spring & then I think I will get a chance to steal over through the lines then to see my connections you spoke of going
to Canada If it was me I would be right in for that making raids
& plundering like the yankees have been doing here tell
Cousin Monroe not to be sending any of his mischievous sauce
here to me about not writing to him he never thinks worthwhile
to write a line to me & I'm always
sending him some word & he knows
I'm too bashful to write first to a young gentleman If he don't mind he might get an April fool or a valentine or something like that as I'm a glorious hand at mischief Tell him I don't think
he Claims to be a Connection of mine or he would write as I get letters from all my Cousins but
Dave & he don't think worthwhile
to write to me or me to him Jim if you want a wife I have been corresponding with a young lady
for some time & she wants to marry if it is your request I will Court her for you
& you Can Marry as soon as the war is over give my love to Monroe & receive a
due portion for yourself
I remain your affectionate Cousin
M M Houser
write soon & all the news don't think hard of my nonsense about that lady but tell Cousin A M I will Court her for him or if he would rather he had better Come & court her himself as
