Letter, Sumner LaRue Tone to Blanche Torrence Tone, Jun 20 1915

Sumner Larue Tone (1864-1942) writes to Emma Blanche Torrence (1868-1925). It doesn't say where it's sent from. Initially I thought from Rochester, Pa, but in 📄 Letter, Sumner LaRue Tone to Blanche Torrence Tone, Jun 8 1915 he writes "Van Eman, Pa". This letter doesn't sound like they've moved since a week earlier so it's probably from the same place. See the other letter for notes on where Van Eman might be. From notes on the Jun 8 letter it seems that Blanche was in Bergen.

Found in the same envelope as the letter mentioned above, labeled simply "B. T. T." ("Blanche Torrence Tone").

Sunday June 20, 15

My dear Blanche-

We had your Thursday letter yesterday afternoon and it caused a big shout from the youngsters and a good comfy feeling on the part of the old man. Everyone will be glad to have you back & the eating up will not be all one-sided by and means. You are real good to write us every day and Katharine is the most faithful correspondend you have here. She sits down to it and works away till she has her letter finished and up in the mail box. She is at her nap now & takes one almost every day. That boy of yours is an absolute failure on naps. He takes his rest hour but nary a nap & if he cannot pester Katharine or Katie during his rest here, he feels it is an hour entirely lost. He & Carl work hard with the goats as the harness has been adjusted by Charlie but the boys have to throw the goats down on the ground to get the harness on them sometimes. The goats seem to be sometimes very much like the children of a certain woman I know. Robert fixed the wagon tongue & whiffletree & Jim put a seat in the wagon so the equipment is complete but the goats still have a good deal of instruction necessary to make a reliable team.

This noon on our way home from church we met Hobson on the road at Morganza & he said the dog was gone again. Got out of the barn while we were at chirch. Hobson nor I could not find him but about 4 p.m. Bob found him up in the reeds by the creek at the railroad bridge west of Leonard Kerr's house & he is home again. Last night he again broke his collar. I had it repaired only Friday last. So the next one will have to be a strong one.

Last Thursday evening at dinner Elizabeth gently wondered to me whether anyone was liable to come to call or whether it was too early in our stay for callers to begin to drop in. As I had a dirty shirt & overalls & no shame since Sunday, I enquired if she was referring to my appearance to which she protested. However I concluded to shave & did so & was at work in the garden when Miss Hoslon [?] & her brother & CC Johnson & wife arrived about lunch. I soon made a change and they made a pleasant call & were all sorry to miss you. But she does seem to drop in when one least expects her.

Friday evening Chas & wife & Katie & I drove up to Mr. Johnsons as he died Thursday afternoon. I went to the funeral yesterday & it was a very large one-- at the house-- unreadable auto hearse & all G.A.R., family & friends in auto's to cemetery. For preachers-- Mr. Grier from unreadable*, Mr. Arthur [?]-- Mr. Fulton [...several names and place names unreadable without knowing more about them...] and Rev. Alex Brown in the audience. Mrs. Johnson has a bad attack of lumbago & can not rise without assistance-- has had it for a week or ten days. I wish you could write her a note as we always had so much regard for Mr. Johnson & for her too.

Elizabeth is anticipating a few days fun in at Mr. Lintons this week & Jim some with picking cherries & pulling weeds. I will have to get the place cleaned up again for my picnic on Saturday and hope that it does not prove too much excitement for Aunt Katie & Elizabeth.

Our strawberries are about gone but we have had 3 good shortcakes & several messes of fresh berries despite the poor condition of the patch. There are a good many cherries now & we will have to get them mostly picked this week. Dominic is to come down tomorrow to pick & market them and he will probably make short work of it.

I am a good deal disappointed at the old cow barn requiring raising up before we can put in the alfalfa as I felt last year I would try to avoid such work coming in on us after we got out here & when the farm work needs so much attention, but Drake could not do it in May as he broke his leg or ankle & so we are at it now.

I have concluded not to try to go up to Elhins [?] for the present as I have enough on hand, and if I make any trip, it will be to Bergen as soon as I can.

I most wish you felt like staying this week out & then I will come upto relive you & remain a week or so. It don't seem as if ma ought to be left to depend on strangers, at least until she is strong enough to have her new glasses, but I will be guided by your views in the matter.

With very much love from all of us,
Affectionately,
LaRue

Notes:

• He makes clear he's not in Bergen. He seems to be in Van Eman, Pa, but I don't have any other info about the family going there.
• Aunt Katie is probably Katharine A. Torrence (1860-1922).
• A whiffletree is "a crossbar pivoted in the middle, to which the traces are attached in a horse-drawn wagon or plow."
• Morganza is very near a likely location of Van Eman-- see 📄 Letter, Sumner LaRue Tone to Blanche Torrence Tone, Jun 8 1915 for more on Van Eman.