"Letter to Dear Child from Mother at Brazoria." (1861) Rice University: https://hdl.handle.net/1911/75595.

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Brazoria Feb. 24 1861

My dear Child

The last letter we have read from you
was written just after your return from Summerville.
I was glad to hear that Jon and 
the baby are well and that your husband 
was with you. I do not know why
but I never liked those summer raft trips
There may be no danger of life, but I
have a dread of water.

You can meet no disappointment my child
that I do not feel with you. I know 
well how hard it is to bear a [[trifling?]]
loss in the way of money when our
plans are deranged thereby.

Mother has been at a great
loss to know what to say or how
to act as regards your coming
here.

I could help you to come
and would gladly do any thing that

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you and your husband wish.
He could make a support
here. I know that he could
but it is not easy to earn a
living by ones exertions any where 
I have feared to take the responsibility
of ever suggesting that it might 
be well for you to come to this
county with the intention of remaining.

It is but for those who
must act to decide for them
selves.

I cannot help thinking
and writing about seeing you
it is robbing me of my peace
of mind to live here separated
as we are now.
If I knew that my son
had decided that it was
best to live in N. Carolina
and did not wish nor expect
to come here I should then
try to school my self to

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submit to my fate.
but while it is constantly in my
mind that there is a prospect of your
coming and that it is possible that
you may live near me I cannot
banish the hope entirely.
and am working and planning
daily with the thought before me
as a beacon to the weary traveler.

I have now my house
on my hands and heart and
I must work on until I get
the building finished and
make my payments. and if
you are not here by that time
(the first of May) my next
effort shall be to earn the 
money to go on to Carolina to
see you and bring you home with
me. I am in earnest
child I never talk of doing
things that I never expect to
do. I can work yet,

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and will keep on until I do 
what I have set out to accomplish.
That is if life lasts.

He will have a nice
house where you can be as
comfortable as where you are
now. Mother has some
ambition too daughter as well
as energy. I am now
content to live badly and wish
for the comforts and elegances of life
for the love of you children, much
more than my self
I intend to have something yet
to give you.

I have said as much to
your husband about coming here
as I think right to say. I 
will help him all I can every
dollar. and with pleasure
The land you have a right to
regard as yours.

There is nothing during

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