Jan 4th 1881
Huntsville Ala
My Dear Cousin John
We
have had extreme cold weather for two weeks or more - & now a cold rain
- so I have not been out at al - did not see the Xmas tree or attend the
Festival having taken cold & having a very troublesome cough - That
has not left me - I received yrs of Dec 14th & was interested as I am
in all of your letters - this is an accidental correspondence that seems
to have sprung up to my great pleasure - but still cant promise to keep
it up only at intervals - When the weather is good I drive twice a day -
& teach Helen Baily her lessons in the evening when her Father dont
come to teach her - He has been in Phila for two years Til last Oct
- I have had Helen four years - we have our meals sent from a Hotel three
times a day - I pay $25.00 pr month & Mr B. pays $10- as- he pays for
her schooling & clothes - she will be 14 next March & is well grown
- was parilised when young & wears a brace & is very active with
it on - I send her to school & send the carriage for her every day &
then I have her taught music - & give her what I please - Mr B. is about
40 but looks younger - was raised a Quaker & joined the Episcopal Church
here. Helen was born here four miles from town & says she will never
go north to live - She is well connected in Phila on both sides -
& is a very interesting child - Mr B. is winding up his mercantile business
here & may go back to Phila - I dont know - I am getting too
old to make any calculations but try to live as though I had a long life
before me & pray as though I might die tomorrow - my heavenly Father
knows me --- better than I know myself - I merit nothing my trust is in
my saviour Christ -
You
ask me if Judge Winston was a relation of our Winstons - he was not - I
like to think of Aunt Polly your Aunt & the Majr Jones you spoke of
was no doubt our cousin John Jones Uncle Arthur Jones son - Arthur was the
youngest brother of our grandfather Jones & was our great Uncle. I liked
Cousin John & he passed through Huntsville last fall & back from
N.York in perfect health about 80 years old & died from Cholic soon
after he got home. Cousin Edmond Winston has been dead several years - he
was the last - I never heard our ancesters professed any religion farther
than living honestly & uprightly & they did practice many virtues
- & were hightly respected I never heard of one doing a mean act They
seemed to have great respect for religious peopl [sic] never opposed their
wives joining - yet not many did there were none but Methodist & Baptist
in the country & they all prefered farming. Uncle Arthur was a Baptist
& they all said he was less hospitable than any of them - he never offered
them a Tody - I think the Jones & W. were a great people in many respects
- particularly the Jones - the men were good husbands & the women good
wives - the men provided & the women took care - You ought to Know about
the women - there never were better wives or housekeepers than your mother
& her sisters - my Aunts - Aunt Betsy Walkers daughter Clemantine married
her cousin Patric - he added Fits to it They live in the western district
of Tene & her daughter married a Ridly there I heard Dr Ridly
a brother lives here & married here but I dont visit them but will ask
Mr Ridly if I have an opportunity -
Cousin my letters are written on a lap tablet held up before
me so I cant write as I would - but any thing you wish to know will give
me pleasure to tell you. My love to every member of your family it would
give me great pleasure to meet you & them -
Affectionately
yr cousin
M. P. Rice
I saw Lou Patton yesterday she brought me a Charlotte Ruse
- made in a glass bowl
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