Letter From Charles Francis Himes to Helen Himes, August 28, 1857

St. Joseph Mo. Aug 28th 1857.

Dear Sister,
I suppose you think I have long neglected to answer your interesting little letter of February the only excuse I can offer is that I did not receive it until last week together with several others forwarded from Keakuk by Wm Lynch. – I have had no school since last Monday (this is Friday) as I was taken sick and have been complaining since but as I am now entirely recovered I don’t fear to write it to you as I know you won’t be at all alarmed or at least you need not be as I intend resuming school on Monday. I took a very severe cold

on Sunday night in returning from meeting late on horseback it was remarkably cold and dark and I rode about five miles a mile and a half of which were by myself and so dark I could not see the least spec. of road which is bad at best so the pony took me through a hazel patch and high weeds and grass that covered us completely I was thankful to get out with my clothes on I assure you the night air together with a quantity of watermelons I imbibed during the day put me in my weeks plight. They raise fine watermelons and cantelopes here, almost as plenty as pumpkins. The Plums are ripening in any quantity and are truly luscious.

Hazel nuts and prairie chickens will soon be in season rabbits are the daily meat of the niggers as they manage to get all the tit-bits for themselves and they eat the rabbits as fast as shot I don’t like them myself so am satisfied the servants should have them. I suppose it would be a strange sight to you to see a lot of children of all ages and sizes and different colors running about and playing together, I know to play with a colored child in Penna. is rather under par. and I never can admire as much familiarity between the two races as there is here. There are many girls here of your size in fact they compose the chief part of the

population. The girls are about as wild too. I have some good little ones in my school others learn pretty fast. – I am anxious to see you all at home and am glad you are having the R.R. finished so that I will have no trouble after I leave Jefferson City as that will in all probability me my route through cincinnatti and wheeling and Baltimore unless I have reason to change my mind in the several months that are to elapse yet. We have some pretty chilly evenings here already and fire feels comfortable, but expect to find colder before I get home. I suppose the company is leaving Oxford for this season. What is Lan. doing I never hear a word about him? – I recd. the Sun and Ledger last week. I would return papers [illegible] but it is very inconvenient for me to do so but I’ll try to do better in future. I have not recd. a letter from home for several weeks or a month. Write often your afft Bro Chas. F.