Margaret and F.D. Thornton to Harry and Emma Shaw, January 16, 1870
[Margaret Thornton Letters MSS. – LS.]
Huntsville, Jan. 16th, 1870
My Dear cousins Harry and Emma
hoping you have had a merry christmas and that
you are all well, I take this opportunity to thank
you for your kind letter of the 11th Dec your letters
always give us great pleasure but this one gives us
both pleasure and sorrow. Poor uncle John you did
not say how he mwet his death. I hope he was ready
to go dear Aunt Betty it must have been a great
affliction to her; but I hope he is better off. I always
felt sorry for him I hope cousin [Alice?] and John will
and Margaret will be very kind to Aunt Betty
I wish she was where I could add to her comfort.
I received a letter from your sister Jane and Miss
[Wallworth?] some time since telling me many
many other items of news of death of cousin
Margaret and cousin John’s Marriage with another
Lady I hope you all like her I think that will
help her to be good to the children a stepmother’s
lot is a hard one at best I know Aunt
Nancy will be good to her I don’t think she could
be unkind to anyone (dear good old soul) how
I wish I could be with you all today but I am
always wishing the same wish my husband
thinks it spoiled me very much going to England
Dear cousins I thank you very much for the pictures
You sent me that is a pleasure that I can share
with my friends have not yet received the
paper and book. The Texas Almanac for 1870 is
not received at our book store yet will be here
in a few days will send you a Hunstville
Item and in explaination[sic] of one Item in it
Must tell you that our Church is in a condition
That we can hold Sunday School in it, but
It was seventy eight dollars in debt at christmas
and the man to whom the debt was due
told us that if we could raise fifty dollars
by the first of January he would give us
a receipt in full to Mrs. Wiley and my self got
up a new years party we cooked the supper
and made the money and paid the debt for which you will see the thanks of the wardens and vestry in the Item but you need to tell cousin James Heap for he gives me credit
for much more that I merit, but he is so good and I am very grateful to him for
all his kindness to me I will send him an Almanac so that he can loan it to Mr. Broubin
I want every one to be aquainted with Texas but you need not loan yours for there are a great many who can keep books who are not good at figures. Brother Walter was here a
few days since he has done very well last year but I do not thin k he will go to England soon he wants to the cost before he does anything Sisters children were all with ius during the holy days we had a house full the Bishop and
one of our ministers were with us form the 24th to the 28th we had a delightful time
tell cousin Ellen and Cousin Ann Heap that I would
be very glad if they would get up a contribution among the friends of the Church and send us a font I should take great pleasure in presenting it in their name to the Church give our love to all our relations and friends tell Mr. Benson that they are talking of building a railroad to Huntsville and if they do I hope he will come and be station master give my respects to him
tell the children that I hope Santaclause was as good to them as he was to Minnie on christmas eve she went to the christmas tree at the Methodist Church and got a very handsome present and while the children were gone Santaclause sent a very big basket of toys and books and dolls and good things. On holy innocents day we got up a tree for all the children of Huntsville it was a union tree Minnie got a great many things she put them in a large bookcase with flap doors she calls it her toy shop and indeed it looks like one
Dear cousin I hope you will be able to read this, I want you if you please see Mr. Fredrick Anderton and see if he can save us anything from the Estate of Shaw my father bought Mrs. Willy’s interest because she said her brother was going to cheat her out of it I hope it will not trouble you too much to see about it if we could get it it would come in good time I received a letter from Mr. Anderton some time since and gave him all the information he asked me and have since received a letter from one of the Shaws in Belleville New Jersey Mr. John Shaw of Bellville owed Father a hundred dollars money that he loaned to him in June 1832 and Rob’t Shaw’s daughter Rachel owed for the things she went to housekeeping with the things belonged to Mrs. Walch and when Mrs. W. called for them she never got anything from Rachel but enough of this please send Minnie Thornton Shaws photograpgh I will write to Aunt Bettie Our love to all from your Cousins F.D. and M Thornton
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