September the 23 1884
Broadway Rockingham County, VA
Dearest Dorcas
It is indead with no small degree of love and pleasur that I embrace an opportunity this presant eavning for the purpose of penning you a few lines in answer to your kind and interesting letter which came to hand in due time and was read with much pleasure for indeed I began to think you had forgotten us all as you did not write for so long. I am truly glade to know that such is not the case that we are still remembered by one whom we would love so much to see and have a talk with again oh how much we would enjoy your presence I was sorry to hear of your pore health for there is nothing like good health without it there is no real enjoyment I am truly thankfull that I can tell you this eavning still findes us all as yet in the land and among the living enjoying useual health Pap is still pretty much as he has been for some time can walk through the house a little by himself but verry totern he has a good appetite and suffer no pain which I think is a blessing Mother had been right complaning all spring and the early part of the summer is better I think she can see a little better than she could Christena is still about as useual. (Original letter has words crossed out) Dorcas I guess you can see what is the matter with me I am so sleepy that I can scarcely write I have been washing and ironing and I cannot tell you what all I fell so tierd I would not have written this evening but you wished to know when the meeting was and mr. Richey is here tonight. I thought that would be a good chance to let you know I hope you will not think hard of my cribling our meeting will come off next saturday and Sonday a week that will be the 4 and 5 of October I want you to come out then oh we would be so glad to see you again for indead it seemes so long sinc I sean you Indead Dorcas this has been a buizy summer with us we had a good many appels and you know that takes work we had just any quantity of grapes I wish you could have been here to help us eat we still have some but they are getting scarce you said you guess we were through with our weaving no we are not nor I do not know when we will get through I would be glad if we wer but we had so much other work that we havent don anything at the loom for about three week and don’t exspect we will until after the meeting you wished to know how our flowers are looking they did not do berry well this summer it was to dry for them you was saying about your tube rose blooming ours is blooming to the secend time it has ever bloomed Dorcas I wish you could have been here last Saturday night and sonday. Fannie Thodes was here last Saturday night and sonday after meeting they wer 11 strangers here for dinner we were talking about you wishing you could be with us I so oftain think of you knowing you have Such a lonely time there as thers not much going on I that neighbourhood that you can run around and enjoy your self like maney do I shall now bring my badly composed letter to a close hoping you will excuse all bad spelling and many mistakes for I roat it in a hurry and was so sleepy that I could not see strait now Corcas I want you to be Shure and come out to meeting I can tell you a great deal ore than I can wright they all join me in sending our love and best wishes to you and your Dear mother so no more hoping to hear from you and see you soon so good night from your true friend F V Kline
