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Theodore Drake to Jennie McQuivey
Clymen, Wisconsin to Waukegan, Illinois
dated: Oct. 31, 1869
Dear Jennie,
To Commence a letter to you is somewhat out of my line of business, but do it with a good
will. hoping you may have the same feeling toward me. you have not been gone quite two
weeks bit it seems a much longer time to me. I miss you very much and think of you daily but
can not see you. when I think of the many happy hours I have spent in your company I can not
help but feel bad. but hope to enjoy it in the future. Our folks have all gone to bed & it is
eleven o’clock but you must have a letter tonight, the only lady correspondent I have or care
about. I saw your folks the day you left your old home, as they started to leave, I was just
going over when I saw them just as they drove out of the gate. you may well know my
feelings, was you with them. well Jennie I hope you have got settled in your new home. but
you must write and tell me all about your journey the farm, &c. don’t think me to inquisitive
but I guess you won’t. Jennie I have some very bad news to tell you. Mrs. Miller and Emma
are dead. The former died last Tuesday morning at 6 o’clock & was buried Thursday. Emma
died the morning that Mrs. Miller was buried at eight-o’clock, just 50 hours apart. they both
died very easy and were buried at the Grove. it is very hard for them all, but worse for Robt.
on account of the children. I feel sorry for him & I guess he has the sympathy of all the
neighbors. Peter Millers folks did not attend the funeral of Mrs. Miller but did Emmas. I think
it was a perfect shame for them to act so. people think hard of them for doing as they did,
neither showing respect for themselves or the dead. Old Grand Pa Miller is also dead. He died
in Missouri at Mr. -----. Well Jennie it is getting late & I will close for this time. will keep you
posted. please write me a good long letter & tell me everything. don’t fear to trust Dora. I
will write soon. with all love to Jennie, I will remain faithful, so good night.
Dora Drake
Theodore Drake to Jennie McQuivey
Oak Grove, Wisconsin to Waukegan, Illinois
dated: Nov. 14, 1869
My dear Jennie
I wrote to you two weeks ago to day the same day that you wrote to Lina and as she
was writing to you I thought I would improve my time by writing again not being so exact
with you as to require an answer for every letter written to you because I take great
pleasure in writing every opportunity I have. I have looked for a letter every day for a
week have been to the post office two or three times but have received none. I still expect
one. you must write often for I am anxious to hear from you and I trust you will. Tammie
& I were up to [Joe’s] last night and stayed until today. I suppose Lina has given you all
the news so I will not repeat it. Jennie I feel lonesome without you. I wish I could see
you just a few moments it would do me so much good. I don’t know how to content
myself. but absence makes the heart grow fonder and Jennie I will trust mine, yours as
well. I have been with you so much especially sunday night that I appreciate your loss
fully. you wrote something in Lina’s letter about being at Damp’s what was it that [Fay]
said about me. the night that we sat up with Emma Glover, Bill [Christie] sat up with us
he has got all over his pout he spoke to me when I went in of course I returned the
compliment. he was very agreeable all night I don’t know what made him take the notion.
Tim’s visits are as regular as ever. our school commences tomorrow, are you going to
teach this winter. I will have to print finer on acct. of more room. now Jennie please
write soon & often I will do the same I will write more next time. please excuse all
mistakes & believe me to be your truest friend.
Dora
Jennie kiss yourself for me, or wait keep it for me till I come down
Dora
Jennie Mcguivey to Theodore Drake
Waukeegan, Ill. to ?
dated: November 30,1869
Dear T,
It is after --- and I have just finished the morning work. we did not go to bed last night
till after one O’clock. cause why we had a surprise party. (Mr. Crandall told they were
coming though) they were all good looking too, Alf & ---nells girls was just as pretty as
they could be. ---- if you hadn’t stole my heart I would have fallen in love with one of the
gentlemen. but it is just as well I didn’t for he is going away monday. I enjoyed myself
better than I expected too and got pretty well acquainted with those present. but I wished
you were here. Annie asked me how long it had been since I had seen Dora? kisses were
cheap last night. but I don’t feel any sweeter than before. they are coming over again this
winter and will fetch the oysters with -----. It is quite novel to get acquainted with all the
going folks four or five miles away before I meet a single girl here. there seems yo be
more boys than girls around here. It was quite interesting. to get among so many young
folks again. I don’t feel quite so much an old maid as I did. You asked what Pa said. it is
hardly worth repeating. but-for accommodations sake I will tell you all I can remember I
think he abused you some to see how it affected me. thought he would be lonesome. but
of course he would write. I told him I supposed you would do as you pleased , that’s the
way to talk, said he, and I don’t remember what all he said else. he didn’t think you was
so much of a man as Charley somehow, that is you did not go anywhere, didn’t know as
you cared to or what the reason was. you went some but not as much as Charley. you
seemed to want to settle down. didn’t think Chas. did. Addie [k]ight would have to find
some one else if she wanted to marry. of course she did. I told him I couldn’t enlighten
him any. Well then he thought you had told him you had never said so to me, perhaps you
did. didn’t expect you to tell me of it. he thought you was bashful. may be you could
express your thoughts on paper better knew he was bashful. he thought you was in
earnest. he appeared vexed to think he could not get anything out of me. I think I duped
him some. He said some things that cut to the core. but I bit my tongue & showed no
sign. I shall never like him again I am afraid it was small of him. first, just because he
could not satisfy his curiosity. it is none of his business. do you think it is. if anyone
should read this they could not find any ---------------------.
Oh Dear, I have just missed another chance of sending this. Pa has just gone to
waukeegan. I commenced this sunday and cannot find time to finish it. Pa don’t know
who your letter was from. unless he guessed. he brought it and gave it to me. but I did
not read it until I was alone. the saturday I recei8ved Lina’s letter Pa wanted me to write
to Mrs. Hurfford. but I didn’t want to and in fact forgot all about it when he came to go
he asked if I had written & when I told him no. he said if there was a letter for me he
shouldn’t bring it but - he did & I had to -- like a day to get it & then he tore it open & left
a piece, when he handed me the letters mistrusting it now from you I exchanged and let
him read the first of Lina’s (don’t tell) so he did not read yours. Well I could write all day
but duty calls another way. That you can read this I’ll pray. My love to you is all I’ll say.
Write soon of all that’s sad and gay. ------------------------
Dora I did not kiss myself but your letter, and send you a kiss in that. Please give Lina her
letter, she knows of our engagement. Burn this up and oblige.
Trustingly, Jennie