Letter to Martha Schofield

Wadmalaw - On the Veranda July 19, 1866.

Miss Schofield,

Your letter reached me
last evening and I must have credit
for being very punctual for writing
thee so soon. Without any preliminaries
I'll rush right into the news - Of course
that's all you care to know. But let
me tell you the hours have sped
rapidly, and pleasantly with me
since you left - not a lonely moment!
I never supposed for a moment that
I could live alone, and not feel at times
somewhat lonely - But now it seems
to me the very [Underlined: Completeness] of existence.
[Underlined: Time] is all I want. The school
is very much larger - owing to the fact
that their hoeing is finished [Underlined: "Done
laid by"] and nothing more till picking
time. I wonder we did not think
of that. It is the best time in the
season for them. You would laugh
to see them come with great watermelons
passed on their heads to
be eaten at recess and I have a
nice share every time, sweet potatoes

[Cross hatched]

Elizabeth was here, and said you owed her. I told her she was very much mistaken
about that - that I knew just what your deal was and
you knew mine. She gave it up - She is the second one
I guess they will find that plan won't work - No rain
yet. Mr. Whaley remains now. [?] I like "Jailers of
the sea". That is some of the descriptions of earth's air and
sea - but the narrative part is a wild improbability -
Did I tell you Major Long had a new buggy -

I presume you have concluded that I am exhausted
by this time - so save a collapse that must [?] from
a vacuum. I will close while I have a "bit' of news left.
I can't say while I have a thought for that would [?]
I had communicated some, which would convey a
false impression. Write me the Chart of good cranium
that is the [?] of the various organs. I guess
the Phreno man must. I have had a sight of "them [?] little
dose "O yurn" and also the [?] heirs. I wonder he thought
I think you ought to be an artist if you tried much
to save your friend from the lack [?] produced from excess
laughter.


two are ripe. The figs, and the trees
in the garden are bending to the ground
with their load, they are not worth
anything to eat before drying in sugar .
They are sickish sweet. Aunt Hannah
brought me some (you know they
are small), and said they were 10 [cents]
per dozen: I told her I believed half
were [?]. Mrs. Glenn brought some
vegetables and wanted considerable. I
told her she owed me, she was quite
astonished at the idea. Mrs. Hammond
taught among them 3 years; and she
says she never found [Underlined: one] that remembered
a debt. The other woman
that worked a little, who owed 75 [cents]
came for pay for the work. She began
with she knew I was a [Underlined:" lady to my word"]
and so on, then introduced her business.
I reminded her of the 75 [cents]. but said
she, I wont work that out - I'll pay
very well. I told her, bring me the
money and I'll pay you then. Of
course I haven't seen her dusky form
since. Mr. Tomlinson, said he would

[Cross hatched]

Saturday 21st Tuesday morning. I intended to have finished this and
sent it but the Boat went soon after 6 and I was told it
would not go till 8. I have not heard from Tomlinson
yet - I have just been washing those strips of Carpet - told
[?] to do it yesterday - She pretended to but the rag Carpet
that had a paper on containing the destination of your
trunk had not been wet. It looked vastly worse than
before, being wet only in spots and the dirty water.
[?] in Clarkson goes to Ben Whaleys every Sabbath
to preach - I may as well close now as any time -
I have told you the floating items so that you will
know [?] is going on here - Sometime I [?] tell
you more but now however - you know that package
of letters that I gave to the Major that morning when
he was down stairs and seemed so cross, well I never
heard from one of them, and some demanded [?]
me dictate attention - wrote a short article and sent
to the Tribune - under [?] discussing the [?]


surely see that the flour & sugar were sent
up on the St. Helena - The St. Helena has been
here twice since and no articles for me
and here I have to pay 10 [cents] per pound
for flour, 50 [cents] worth will scarcely make
two small loaves. I am going to weigh
it the next time - 8 [cents] per pound for
hominy - the tickets will be all gone in
a very short time at this rate. Sugar
30 [cents] per [pound]. That [?] was excellent -
I had only a slice at a time cooked
for a few times and before I had it
a week I went to it to see that it
was carefully covered from the flies, and
behold it was all gone! Whiley and
Ellen had to go to work at [?]
to get some provisions lately and you
know she didn't care for tickets a
short time ago. You recollect there was
a paper of corn starch open, and that
starch in the jar, well they were
both emptied with two small washings
of mine yesterday. I gave her the
starch for that ironing - Eviline made
that new dress, and had it to wash

[Cross hatched]

question. If you see it please send it to me. I have taken [?]
just 2 [cents] and next day paid 35 [cents] for a pound of lard - I gave
that little interesting book to Waterman for his little
girl gave Nellie Watson the other Sacque that Miss Pugh
sent us. Sherman I suppose is sold - That miserable
man over to [?] took the horse again without leave
I told him that he had acted meanly - he said some
"Nigger lied" and nobody ought to believe "Nigger news" but
he has not paid for the use of him yet and I am
afear'd I'll have to call in the Major for it. I hardly
think Samson will pay or can't either. Do you
know we were to confident of the good opinion and
friendship of the men here. I mean our white friends -
I did not tell them, you sent your regards to the white
loyalists. I thought I should but just about that time
there were some remarks made that changed my mind
I am going to live within myself - Yours, etc. Mary


in the next Monday - I tried to get her
to wash in an old one but it was no
use. She got a new light calico dress at
Hammonds and hadn't enough to pay
for it, and came to me for money I let
her have it. She then wished me to cut
it. Of course she had no lining - I cut
the waist and took some of that new
muslinett to line it - O what a job. I have
had, nearly every "bit" of it. I had to do - I wish
she would leave, I told her I did not want
her - but yet she stays and don't pout
a "bit" the first [Underlined: pout] and she goes. -
She wanted a sheet off that "muslin" and
I could not well refuse her - so let her have
it. Every vegetable they can sell any other place
they will do it - [?] is looking nicely.
Egan has spent an evening here - said that
the last call (not the one about that money) that
he made here he resolved not to come again
while [Underlined: you] were [Underlined: here]. I asked him why
when he had called, and arose to go. I commenced
saying come again, don't wait for
a special invitation etc., when you turned
and spoke to me and "shut me right up"
"I did not say another word - nor bid him
good evening." I told him I could not recollect
it but if it happened it was on
this wise. We had talked it over between
ourselves and concluded if the men here
never came but by special invitation we
would not give special invitations any longer
and that probably I was on the point of forgetting
it, and you reminded me. but it was
of no use, and that was only one of many other
things - what the other things were I did not find
out - nor ask, But every thing we said or did
was watched and repeated - Major Long
knew of many things that we had forgotten
having been told him.