Josephine Sewell (?) to Milton Tharp 7 May 1859

I suspect Milton is Washington's brother, since he's mentioned in this letter. "Aunt Jane" would be their mother. This letter is a little hard to follow, and she's not kidding at the end when she says her pen was bad.

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Josephine to Milton Tharp

Noblesville, Ind May the 7^th 1859

Dear Cousin  Dear cousin

I take my Pen in hand to inform you that I am well at this time and hope that these few lines may find you enjoying the same State of health   the weather is vary fine and spring is comming on and everything looks beautiful all the fruit trees are all in full bloom I am so glad to see all of this for I want some apples to eat so bad   do come out to see us this fall and I will save you some choice apples just as many as you can eat in a month.  you stated that you could have come to Westfield for one dollar  O how foolish you were for not coming, without a great chance you never will see the old homested on them feet.  O how I would like to see you and talk and laugh to gather once more   O what a pleasure it would be

I have the most good thing to tell you but I will not tell vary many of them in this letter it would be to funny   this is Friday and I am by my self and there is nobody to bother me just come over [Sunday?] night   You see I am a going to meeting sunday evening at three o Clock and than he is a going to come home with me he is the prettiest young man this side of iowa  would you not like to be here O yes I Know you would.

did you know that Martha White was here yet one? she is waiting for you I know she is and she had a [quilting?] a few weeks a go and I was there we had quite a funny time. I have had her talk about you a great many times. we have meeting twice and some times three times ever[y] sabbath .  tell aunt Jane that mother had got so she can go a visiting she is gone to day tell Mary that I want her to write me a letter I have not from her but once since she moved away. I have sent word to her severeal times and she has never sent me one word. tell her to write me a letter and than I will answer it right away I just know she might--yes and there is washington he has not writ one word to me for a three years. I want him to see if he can send me a few lines anyhow I want to here from him and know how he is getting along through life I know he is not married yet. it has been so long since I got a letter from James that I nearly forgot witch wrote last.  I begin to think that him and washington had forgot me entirely.  Well now Milton I would like to come to Iowa and see how you are getting along to see all of the nice prairies. I know it is nice when they are all in full bloom.

well I believe I have not mutch more to write. I wish you could have been here last winter we had the most best selling [?] schools one about once a week. And the best of it was the last day we had the best time I ever saw for the last day of school we had the gratest exibition it lasted till about midnight and than we did not get half through. every body was there Young and old little and big. Zigabo [?] Cary was one school Teacher Last winter and he taught a very large school and a good one to. Our spring school commenced last Monday I will not get to go any I ought to go to for I missed all of my Winter school all but five or six weeks. O teacher thee first day said that the one that left off lead in...

[handwriting changes]

Mr. Tharp

Although you are a stranger to to me Although it looks very foolish I thought as Josophine has has stept out of the house I would write a few lines just for bedevelment so I will tell you who Josephines lover is. first I will discribe him well he is very good looking and rich and thats all I know about him his name I cant tell so no more. M Scott

[handwriting changes back]

...the spelling class the most times that he would make them a presant of a nice book. I recieved Seven and after I left school than some of the schollars said that now I would not get the book but they was mistaken for there was not any one that got three tickets but I kept it a secret how many I did get myself and when the last day came thee teacher asked me how many I had got myself.  I told him I had seven well he told the schollars that I had gained the book he gave me a vary nice book and it was a usefull one to.  That is Sunday morning and I am by my self again all others left have gone to chruch but I am a going this evening. you have not forgot that I told you about that was a going to happen. this You may answer this young ladys few lines. I can not write mutch more for my pen is so bad I told you over on the other side that I was by my self but she came in after I had commenced my letter. I do not expect you can read this for this is the worst pen I ever saw.

So no more at present write soon your affectionate cousin from Ann Josephine Sewell

they have got to calling me ann out hear and I go by that name

To Milton Tharpe

So good bye do not forget me Milton.