Margaret Wylie Mellette to Louisa Wylie Boisen, 23 March 1879

Margaret W. Mellette, Springfield, Dakota Territory, to Mrs. Louisa M. Boisen, Bloomington, Monroe Co, Indiana

Springfield, D.T.

March 23^rd, 1879

My dear Sister,

            I cannot remember whether I answered your last letter or not, but that makes no difference as we ought not to wait for letter to be answered, but write each week. We are all getting along just as usual. We have not all of our house yet and until we do will not feel settled. I find so many things I want to do that sometimes I am very much discouraged when I think of only the one pair of lazy hands to do with. I have a girl but managing her as hard work as I have to do. Then the weather has been unpleasant and I have tried to keep the boys in and that almost drove me wild. Still I am so thankful that they are all well I can put up with the noise.

            I was very much disappointed to hear that you could not come out this summer. I think you would enjoy it here for a while. It would all be so new to you.

            Today the wind is blowing at a fearful rate. The new summer house has blown over and Arthur and Mr. Stiffler have had to tie it to the fence and a tree to keep it. The wind is the greatest objection to this country. Pa seems to think that without rain for so long a time (last August) the country would not be very [durreable?] but the earth seems to be moist a little way down and things grow splendidly. Every thing in the vegetable line can be raised in perfection. Melons are so large and sweet they say and are raised in large quantities and flowers too are nice (wild ones, I mean). I will try and press you some and you press ferns for me and leaves.

            Is Julian Wentworth still in [part?]? Ma wrote Ida Kinney was sick. Is she better? I have been working on the saw trying to make a card basket out of thin white holly. I tacked the sides together and sawed three of them without trouble. I made a beautiful little bracket. I am having a carpenter to make a stand for my music and he is going to teach me to inlay the panels with white holly. The case is of walnut. I get more time for such things now than at M. but things to work with are hard to get and very high. I have to send for all I want. Love to all. Kiss Anton and tell him Baby wrote him a little letter that I will send if I can find it.

            Urge Pa and Brown to come this summer and Ma too. I wrote to Mother and to Dory this week. Write as often as you can. I was invited to Mrs. Turner’s last eve. She lives so nicely, the finest in town. Her china is exactly like Mother had before we went to Oxford, with a little purple leaf in it, a beautiful silver tea set, and fine linen made her table beautiful.

Theophilus Adam Wylie Family Correspondence, 1806 - 1930, (bulk 1850 - 1930), Collection 2005.003.2849, Wylie House Museum, Indiana University, Bloomington.