Jennie Arates Seminary - At the schoolhouse Dear friend Mollie, doggone you I will never believe you in the world for I thought you would write to me before this time. Goody I shan’t tell you how Frank is. He has been very sick near died. He is getting well fast though. Ike has been very sick. I have been to see him several times. I treat him better than you do Frank. Fannie is not sick with the mumps so I stayed there last night. of the family at Mr. Elliott’s get the mumps. I don’t believe Frank will have you when he gets well if you don’t come to see him. I believe he will have me cos I went to see him and sent him something good to eat. You bet. Well I shan’t tell you any more for fear the neighborhood gets the joke on me and I guess that is as much as you will care about reading. Mollie I wish you was going to school. We have such a nice time parsing and setting examples, and a nice time in general you bet. Tell Gus doggone him I don’t care if he didn’t stop and hear us spell. Tell him if he don’t hurry his ma about coming I am afraid he won’t come to see me before I leave or before he gets ready to start to Idaho and he said he was going to take me and I want to be getting ready to start. Mollie write me a great long letter. I could to you if I had time. If you can’t read this send it back to me and I will burn it for I don’t believe that I can read it. Your friend, Jennie Mollie if you don’t have your photograph taken for me I will take mine from you and give it to Gus or somebody else that will give me theirs. Mollie come up soon you can come with the children and then go home with me. Write and if you don’t intend to have your picture taken for me you don’t want mine and you can send it to me. to Miss Mollie Marshall at home goodby © Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved My note: I am guessing this letter was written in the fall or winter of 1864, as other letters make reference to the mumps. The next year, it was measles that swept through Pettis County - MFC Marshall caught them, and her mother died from them.