Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-02-17

ina Time, ana q Drotner OF Ut. W. u
H. Hunter. e member Of the legisla-
ture at one time from Audrain. L.
n. Hunter is well remembered in this
city by J. J. Steel, J. H. Sallee and
others. The letter is not only well
written but carries with It the spirit
Of the period and reflects much Of the
life Of Mexico in that early day.
Dearest Cousin
Mexico, No, Tuesday, 8 p. m, Feb.
18th, 1e50.-Long looked for come at
last" The Eight of January has ever
sent a thrill Of pleasure and exalta-
ton through my frame. The glory
achieved by American arms upon the
plains Of aChalmette" has ever been
to me a theme Of pride and gratula-
ton; but there are other triumphs
than those Of the sword-there are
other pleasures than the recounting
the deeds Of the warrior. If the Eight
Of January has ever been held sacred
heretofore by me as a day of rejoicing;
it will henceforth be rendered doubly
dear by being the day upon which my
dear Cousin has chosen to renew
=
her correspondence with a dem
izen Of the Ear Vest Thou canst
not imagine with what anxiety l
waited the winged messenger" that
should bring me one of thy well filed
and interesting epistles and when It
came ! perused it and felt as though
/ was once more enjoying an agree
able "Tete a Tete" and willing away
the otherwise dull and monotonous
hours in most delightful discourse;
but alas! l fear that thou hast con-
cluded that "brevity is the soul of
wit" yet, yet, there was consolation
administered in these words "a prom
Use Of a long letter next time" 1 say
let it come.
Presuming you would like to hear
a word from my "wild prairie home"
/ will launch out upon the broad ex-
panse and give you a few blasts from
these at present bleak and snow clad
plains; over these plains duty has
not forced me to travel much this win
ter and right glad am / of it, for chill
ing winds have had the a~scendancy
for the last few months and have adj
monished us to keep indoors on last
Sabbath week at sunrise the Their
mometer stood at IL degrees below
zero and | can assure you that that
is piercing cold for this latitude.
Three persons were froze to death in
St. Louis on Sunday night. Though
the cold bids us stay at home, the
snow invites US to go abroad. So
therefore we have to make a "com-
promise" Tin these days of "Com-
promises") and do a little of each.
We have some fine sleighing this
winter, though ! have not enjoyed it
quite so well as | did last year, owing
to a bright particular star" being
absent this winter from our social
circle. Tis true there is a motto in
favor with many which says when
those we esteem are absent make love
to those that are near" but perhaps
it would be hard to find birds Of a
plumage to please us-Think not
though that my heart has been trans
fixed by one Of Cupid's darts and that
| am captive at the feet of some fair
Western girl. No, far from it, / am
still free to roam and shall so remain
until I revisit my native State, which
l hope will be ere long.
In doors we have spent the winter
thus far quite pleasantly. Parties
have been numerous and well attend
ed; the youth and beauty of u Coun-
ty arrayed like fairy queens, with
their sparkling wit and ruby lips have
en~raptured the beaux and all has
went on as merry as a marriage bell.
Formerly it was our custom to spend
the time at these reunions with trip
ing on "the light fantastic toe, but
Of late we have progressed too far
for that it appears, and we now spend
the moments as they fly in playing
cold Jake" quaker, GLOW do you
like it," etc, etc. Playing is decidedly
the rage tout West" Whether it is
an improvement upon dancing OF not
l am not able to decide; the religious
world would perhaps condemn both.
The tocsim of preparation has been
again sounded in our midst, the notes
have been long and loud--tis said
from headquarters" that a grand Val
entine party comes off on the 14th
inst, which is day after tomorrow. ]
a.
say welcome pleasure, welcome feast
ing, welcome hilarity and mirth; fly
swiftly the hours wreathed with gay
iowers-and may it afford fine recre-
alton. Upon Christmas day we had
a celebration Of the Sons of Temper
ance. Two Orations were delivered,
they were both maiden speeches and
poor at that. We also had a lecturer
Of the Washingtonians to visit us a
few weeks since. He informed me
that he travelled on the "Pell"s from
the "Queen City" to the "burgh" and
spoke there. Do you recollect him?
and what can be learned concerning
him? He appeared quite well ac-
quainted in Indiana. l should like to
know a little of his history. He is
certainly a fluent and humorous
speaker. There we're some forty sign
ed the pledge among the number 20
ladies. What think you of the Sons?
Is there a Division of daughters in
the 'burgh?" How do they prosper?
| have no idea of joining the Sons, but
may ere long attach myself to n Of
the Daughters.
If l mistake not there were some