The Andrew Wylie Family Letters - Indiana University Bloomington

advantage of a most excellent climate. Mr Hester & family reside there & I suppose I shall see
him. During my absence aunt has fixed up the grounds about the house, built a hen house--has
a lot of chickens in which she takes great delight. Sarah has grown to be quite a young lady--
is quite interesting & intelligent and I see is quite a favorite with everyone Aunt Abby is in fine
health & is making some money for herself & is looking well. Aunt Eliza often talks of you and
desires to be particularly remembered -- She says to remind Jenny that she owes Sarah a letter,
and when she writes desires to know all about Aunt Kate & family--Where do they live & how
getting along -- Give Jenny my love tell her she must try and write me. Tell Redick that I often
thought of him when in Oregon on a visit to some of the best farmers, they pay great attention
to the growing of fruit trees, which flourish in a most extraordinary manner in that country--& is
exceedingly profitable They study the matter are constantly grafting, pruning & culti vating -- I
thought of the orchard at home--how it might be made to produce much more than it does -- Have
heard of Marys safe delivery of a fine daughter I trust that she is doing well. Give her my love &
congratulations on the occasion, & tell her I hope that the child will prove good and a comfort to
her. Liz seems to be desirous of selling the homestead & the R.R. stock. I think it all folly -- Bad
policy to sell stock when it is at the lowest point of depression--hold on till it goes up -- Now my
dear mother, nothing would please me more than a letter from you written by your own hand, but
if you can’t do that get Redick & Jane to write. Affect your son, John
Lizzie Leeds Wylie to Jane Wylie, care of Redick M. Wylie, Bloom ington, Indiana
Richmond [Indiana] May 3 rd 1854
Dear Jenny
I should have replied to thy note sooner but have had so little time to devote to writing
aside from that occupied in writing to John, & thinking that my little sister would easily forgive
my want of punctuality, have defered it from time to time. I have not been very well for the
last two months, took a heavy cold and sore throat and as the delicate ladies say, have felt quite
“miserable & exhausted.” The Dr thought my debility was caused by exhaustion consequent
upon nursing Irene, and that I had better wean her immediately. I made the trial but she
commenced cutting a tooth and was quite sick, refused to eat, and was so fretful and cross that
I gave up the idea. She is some better to day. I gave her a nibble (think I took the lions share
myself) of that sponge cake thee sent together with the injunc tion to think of her Aunt Jane. I
think thee succeeded admirably and bids fair to make almost as good a cook as thy mother. I say
almost because I have so often heard John declare that “no one could ever beat his Mother.” I
received a letter from Andrew McKee last week introducing himself as a cousin & enclosing a
short note from John to his [McKee’s] father stating that he has just concluded to leave his ship
and take a trip of some 50 or 100 miles across Oregon to Puget Sound. A gentleman whose acquaintance
he had made on board the ship, had offered him the hospitality of his farm house,
plenty of good milk, butter & wild game &c he spoke of him as being quite wealthy and a lumber
merchant. Andy says he left there in good spirits and they would infer from his taking this jaunt
that his health had improved. I felt so rejoiced when I heard he had left San Francisco. I was so
uneasy at his protracted stay there, unemployed, confined to the house, his mind as well as his
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disease preying on his body, for I know when unoccupied and taking no active exercise at home
he was always worse. Andy says that there is no way of communi cating with that portion of
Oregon except by sailing vessels which are often delayed and that John wished them to apprize
me of this movement that I need not be disappointed in not receiving a letter. It would have been
quite a severe one if I had re ceived nothing from there, as I have to summons up all my pa tience
to wait two weeks for a letter. Now I suppose I shall only hear every month or six weeks. That
cousin Andy is a very sagacious youth in speaking of himself, says he will refer me to Lizzie
Wylie who can better tell me who he is. I strongly sus pect that he was aware he could not confide
his character to a warmer or more partial friend. I wrote to Lizzie some two months or more ago
but have not received a reply, think there must be one virtue of which she is lacking and that is
a disposition to answer my letters. When at Bloomington thee asked me if I knew of any pretty
fashion for riding dresses. Kate brought out the basque pattern like you see in the Ladies Books
and I will send it to thee either by post or by Lizzie if thee has not got it. Lizzie said perhaps she
would pay me a visit on her return home the last of this month or in next. I wish she would let me
know at what time I may look for her as sister Anna and I talk some thing of going over into Ohio
and I should not like to be away when she comes. I saw in the news papers that the college had
been burnt and was supposed to have been a set fire. Cannot imagine why any one should wish
to burn it. I expect little Pink was very delighted with her baby sister,* Pett is standing up at
the window very much engaged in looking at the “mu kow” as she calls it, eating grass. She can
understand almost every thing that is said to her. Ask Major if there is any Congressland around
Bloomington William Bickle and I had a dispute about it the other day he contended that there
was none in that part of Indiana and I the contrary as I thought I had heard some of you speaking
about it when there. Write soon and tell me all the news. With love to all
I remain thine affectionately,
Lizzie
* little Pink and baby sister are probably Annie and Margaret Dodds, children of James and Mary
Ann Wylie Dodds; Pett is John and Lizzie Wylie’s daughter Irene
Anderson M. Wylie to Jane Wylie, Bloomington
Philadelphia Sat morning May 20 th 1854
My dear Sister,
Here I sit with no less than three of your letters before me and if I should make a proper
return for this amount of matter & information I should not cease writing for the next six hours.
But I hope you will be content with less for I am now on the run, though I do not do a great deal
of work. As to your writing you have been much more faithful than I seemed willing to believe
you to be. But this has neither been your fault in doing, nor mine accusing for it seems from
my late inquiry into the matter that Uncle Sam has been to blame or at least some of his worthy
P.[ost] masters. A short time before I rece’d your last, a letter from you dated “Jan 9th” came to
hand, and you may imagine my vexation. The direction was perfectly plain but still it had been
missent. It came here in the incredibly short space of 3 1/2 months. I took the letter & marched
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