Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch to her son Charles I. Bowditch, Spring 1881

[From Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch in Micaville, North Carolina, to her son Charles in Urbana, Illinois. She talks about their garden; says a strange woman has been frightening other women in the area; includes directions for preventing a chill and fever; and talks about various day-to-day events in the family.

The letter is incomplete and undated. It's a single sheet of paper, about 9 by 11 inches, folded in half so that there are four pages to write on. The first page in the part of the letter transcribed here has the number 2 in the upper right corner, with no numbers on the remaining pages, so the first sheet (four pages) are missing.

From the content it was clearly written from Elizabeth to her son Charles in Urbana, Illinois, and probably early in his time there. It mentions Marion Hilliard being in poor health, possibly due to Becky's marriage (Susan Rebecca Gibbs, married 30 December 1880), and that they were then planting beans. It was thus probably written in the spring of 1881.]

chance I have to send to town. Laura Ayres1 picked the geese, and has been since and washed my wool, and worked in the garden. She wanted a new dress, and I wanted my work done, & it suited very well. Ga.2 says such a talking as one hears when we are together. She could not get a chance to say anything if she wanted to.

The "nice girls" of Champaign Co. leave the Yancy belles in the background, do they? I expect they do in more than one respect, in intelligence, looks, and most every thing.

Pa3 has one side of the garden, betwix the Raspberries & the Rhubarb, planted in onion seed, and it takes a great portion of his time to weed them with his fingers. He is now planting beans up in "your garden," that you used to keep so nice. We have melons and cucumbers planted in the same place, but I do not expect as good a garden as when you were here.

I think I told you in my last that Burnsville was incorporated now. Since that time there has been a strange woman appearing suddenly and frightening the females about. I will leave the account of hunting her &c. to Ga., for she says she knows I tell you everything.

Mr. Ray4 is Marshal, and I expect Fred5 comes in for some special fun sometimes. They have had one man only in jail for drinking.

Uncle John6 says he saw old Casson at Mr. Ray's new mill, and he looks miserably emaciated. Uncle John seems to feel much for the old man.

Marion Hilliard7 staid with us while Johnny8 was away, and we liked him much. His health is improving. Many say it was caused by Becky's9 marriage, that he was grieving too much. I think he is looking much better, and is in good spirits. He comes and stays with Johnny occasionally.

Pa stopped with Dr. Whittington10 to dine on his way to Asheville, and got from the Dr. some directions for you to follow to prevent chill & fever.

About June 20th of a Saturday night

Take 4 Cook's pills11 in the dose. The next 24 hours after that diet on broth & gruel. Then take 25 pills of one grain of Quinine each every hour till they are all gone. If you have any symptoms at any time repeat the dose. He is very much interested for you, and does not want you to have chills. Be careful of too much watermelon. They are ripe at a time when it is chilly times, and have been the cause of many chills. I hope you will never have one, for Johnny nor Joe ever had one. I will send you a Box of Ayres Pills12 that are very good & simple, but I would procure a box of Cooks farther along in the summer.

Thank you much for the Corn & Rye. It has been a great help to us. Johnny got rye from Nelson.

We have not seen Joe13 since he took off his Bee Hive. Pa thinks he can Hive bees. What do you think? We shall look to Merritt.14 I was asking Bob15 today if he could manage them. He says no, no, he could run and get some one better.

Write when you can and take good care of yourself. Why does not Nat16 write & send his Photograph? Pa sends love. Ga. will write you some in this.

Good bye from your loving

Mother

  1. Laura Jane Ayers (1867-1958)
  2. Georgiana Abbot Bowditch (1848-1927), Elizabeth's daughter, Charles's sister
  3. Joseph Henry Bowditch (1818-1900), Elizabeth's husband, Charles's father
  4. Garrett Dewese Ray (1833-1912)
  5. Frederick Darlington Bowditch (1859-1920), Elizabeth's son, Charles's brother
  6. John Edwin Abbot (1831-1911), Elizabeth's brother
  7. Marion McDonald Hilliard (1851-1918)
  8. John Abbot Bowditch (1856-1933), Elizabeth's son, Charles's brother
  9. Probably Susan Rebecca Gibbs (1862-1927)
  10. Willard Porter Whittington (1854-1928)
  11. Cook's pills were a strong laxative containing aloe, rhubarb, soap powder, and the mercury compound calomel, first created by John Esten Cooke around 1830, used for several types of ailments.
  12. Ayer's pills were another patent medicine used for a variety of ailments, including both constipation and diarrhea.
  13. Joseph Bowditch (1858-1923), Elizabeth's son, Charles's brother
  14. Probably Merritt E. Caraway (1858-1908)
  15. Probably Robert M. Hilliard (1852-1926)
  16. Nathaniel Ingersoll Bowditch (1846-1913), Elizabeth's son, Charles's brother