Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-12-02
A Good Letter.
MARK TwAIN's IDEA OF 1T.


The most useful and interesting letters
we get here from home are from chill,
dren seven or eight years old. This is a
petrifed truth. Happily they have got
nothing else to talk about but home, and
neighbors and family-things their bet
tiers think unworthy of transmission
thousands ofmies. They write simply
and naturally, and without strain for eff
feet. They tell all they know and then
stop. They seldom deal in distractions
or homilies. Consequently their epistles
are brief; but, treating as they do of
familiar scenes and persons, always enter
tanning. Now, therefore, if you would
learn the art of letter writing, let child
teach you. l have preserved letter
from a little girl eight years of age-the
only letter | ever got from the States
that had any information in it. 1t ran
thus:
ST.. LOUIS, 1865
"Uncle Mark, if yon WAS here | could
tell you about Moses in the bulrushes
again, know it better now. Mr.. Sow
berry has got bis leg broke off horse.
He was riding in on Sunday. Margaret,
that's the Maid, Margaret has takeu all
the spittoons, and slop buckets and old
jugs out of your room, because she says
she don't think you are coming back any
more, you have been gone too long
Sissy McElroy's mother has got another
little baby. She has them all the time.
1t has got little blue eyes, like Mr. SWIM
ley that boards there and looks Just like
him. | have got new doll, but John
ny Anderson pulled one of the legs out.
Miss Dusenberry was here yesterday; |
gave her your picture, but she didn't
want it. My cat has got moro kittens
oh you can't think-twice as many as
Lottie Belden's. And there's one such
a sweet little buff one with short tail,
and named it for YOU.
All Of them's got names now-Gener-
al Grant, and Haileck, and Moses, and
Margaret, and Deuteronomy, and Captain
Semmes, and Exodus, and Leviticus and
Horace GreeIey-all named but one,
and am saving it because the one l
named for you has been sick all the time
since, and reckon it'll die. 1t appears
to be mi hty rough on the short tailed
kitten for naming it for me. wonder
how tue reserved victim will stand il.
Uncle Mark, do believe Hattie Caldwell
likes you, and know she thinks you are
pretty, because | heard her say nothing
could hurt your looks-notlling at all
she said, even if you were to have tho
small pox ever so bad, you would be just
as good looking as you were before -
And ma says she was ever so smart
| Very. So no more this time because
General Grant aud Moses are fighting.
ANNIE.
This child treads on my toes in every
other s,nteuce with perfect looseness, but
in the simplicity of her time of life she
doesn't know it.
consider that model letter--an em:-
nently readable and entertaining letter,
aud, As | said before contains mora mat
ter of interest and real information than
any letter ever received from the East.
| had rather hear about cats at home
and their truly remarkable names, than
listen to lot of stuff about people, / am
not acquainted with or read "The evil eff
fects of the Intoxication Bowl illustrated
on the back with the picture of a ragged
scallawag pelting away right and left in
the midst of his family circle with junk
bottle.