The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-17
A GOsd Letter-Mark THaIH's Idea
of III.


The most useful and interesting let
ters We get here from home are from
children 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 betters think un-
worthy of transmission thousands Of
miles They write simply and natur-
ally, and without strain for effect.
They tell ali they know. and then
stop. They seldom dream in abstrac-
tions or homilies. Consequently
their epistles are brief; but, treating
as they do of familiar scenes and per-
sons, always entertaining. Now,
therefore, if you would learn the art
of letter-writinR, let child teach
you. | have preserved a letter from
little girl eight years of age-pre-
served it as a curiosity. because it was
the only letter ever got from the
States that had any information in it.
It ran thus:
"Sr. LOUIS, 1865.
Uncle Marx, if you was here I
could tell you about Moses in the
bulrushes again. I know it better
now. Mr.. Sowberry got his leg broke
off a horse. He was riding it on Sun
day. Margaret, that's the Maid, Mar
garet has taken 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 lit
tie baby. She has item all the time.
It has got little blue eyes. like Mr..
Swimley that boards there, and looks
just like him. | have got a new doll;
but Johnny Anderson pulled one of
the legs out. Miss Dusenberry was
here yesterday; / gave her your pic
ture, but she didn't want it. My cat
has got more kittens-ohl you can't
think-twice as many as Lottie Bel
den's. And there's one, such sweet
little buff one with short tail, and l
named it for you.
All of them's got names uow-Gen-
eral Grant, and Halleck, aud Moses,
and Margaret, and Deuteronomy, and
Captain Semmes, aud Exodus, and
Leviticus, and Horace Greeley-all
named but one, and [ am saving it
because the one [ named for you's
been sick all the time since, and [
reckon it'll die. 1t appears to be
mighty rough on the short tailed
kitten for naming it for me. l won
der how the reserved victim will
stand it?l Uncle Mark, | do believe
Hattie Caldwell likes you, and | know
she thinks you are pretty. because [
heard her say nothing could hurt your
goods looks-nothing atall-she said,
even if you were to have the small
pox ever so bad, you would be just
as good looking as you were before.
And ma says she's ever 50 smart.
{ Very. So no more this time, be-
cause General Grant and Moses are
fighting. ANNIE.
This child treads on my toes In
every other sentence with perfect
looseness, but in the simplicity of her
time of life she doesn't know it.
| consider that a model letter-an
eminently readable and entertaining
letter, and, as said before, it contains
more matter of interest and real in
formation than any letter ever receiv-
ed from the East. | had rather hear
about cats at home and their truly re-
maskable names, than listen to lot
of stuff about people | am not ac-
quainted with, or read The Evil
Effects of the Intoxicating Bowl,
illustrated on the back with the pic
ture of a ragged scallawag pelting
away right and left 10 the midst Of his
family circle with a junk bottle.