April 14th 1889

My Dear Dear Friend

Let me return my warmest thanks for your kindness in writing to me. For you can never know what a pleasure it was to me to see your clear letter, & to hear that you had improved so much as to be able to go to Port-Gibson. It has been raining at intervals ever since yesterday it has very much eroded, my little garden & all vegetation seem much refreshed. & I tell you we have plenty of mud for this is buckshot land & the mud sticks like glue. Allison has not been so well for two or three days & I have had a dreadful crick in my neck for four days & it is not entirely well yet. Addie is well and Mary Margaret is in better health than she has been for a long time & is as lively as a cricket. She often speaks of going to see aunt Margaret & of the pecans you gave her. We have had several messes of fish & would have them often for Black bayou is only a quarter of a mile from the house & has nice fish in it, such as trout cat & perch. But Allison has had little time for fishing yet & I cannot go on account of MM. She is too fidgity to take on the creek. The Slough where Addie fished when we first came is drying up. Mr Fass was out last week & expressed him self as being well pleased with the way every thing was going on. He brought a man with him & tried to rent him all the land that is not in cultivation on the place. It seems rather late in the season for a man to be hunting land to make a crop on. Mr. Fass seems perfectly well on the subject of negros, for any time he hears that one is dissatisfied on another plantation he orders Allison to send the negros for him. He has sent for three different ones & was disappointed every time. I suppose the reason he is so anxious is that he (has) such few hands on the place. Allison is having some land worked with day labor. Negro men get a $1.00 a day & the women 75 cts. I haven't heard from the children for ten days am sorry that sister Mary is going to Armite. For I hear that Pa has been drinking a good deal & knowing how he is & that he seems to grow worse. would be better satisfied if was here. I regret now that I did not bring P & R. with me. But as I do not think it prudent to remain in this low mararia country longer than the last of May or middle of June. hope they will get along till I return. I would rather live up here with Allison than to return to Claiborne. Allison received a letter from Robt' Moseley. He says that he is delighted with his situation. I have 15 grown chickens. Allison sees a great many people up here that he knew in Claiborne. Mr Fass tried to convince me that this is not a sickly place, but others say differently. If you think this scrawl worthy of a reply will be delighted to hear from you again. Allison & Addie join me in love to you & Mr. McIntyre & may God bless you my dear good friend.

As ever your loving friend

Fannie

Excuse mistakes