McFarland-Russell Letter, June 25, 1871

[Postmark] Orange June 26 Tex

Miss Kate. McFarland. Bleak, Wood [sic]. Newton County Texas

Orange Orange Co Texas June 25th 1871

Miss. Kate McFarland Esteemed Friend

Your most kind and welcome letter of the 1st came to hand after a delay of some twenty three or four days. Had I not have known the Creeks were up so the mail could not come by your house. I would give you a little Scolding for your seeming neglect. but I will just drop that as I have found out it was not your fault. I think we had better release each other from that Bargain. it would not be fair for you to wait three week before you answer this. you must remember you have not told me all of the [late?] news. your letter has been written very near a month. so you must answer this the first oportunity. [sic] Well Kate I will commence to write now but I cant say that I will write you a very interesting letter is has been so long since I have had one to write. so I guess it will be quite a difficult task to find something to write about although I will do my best towards it and that is all that I can do. our thespian [Club?] have met with the most perfect success. They performed two nights for the whites and one for the blacks and they took in about one hundred and seventy five or eighty dollars. admittance twenty five & fifty cents. which I think is little enough. I think they did very well for the first time. any one of the pieces they played was well worth what they paid to the fee the [?] we also have a Soda Fount. and that is another great treat to the Orangeites. I tell you Orange is coming out of the [?] . it is improving rapidly. and there is a great many strangers moving in all. the while. did the late storm injure you much up in that section. the wind blew a perfect gale here but it was about one hundred feet above the earth so it did not damage us much. I tell you Kate I began to think it was going to be another one such as that September Gale of sixty five. [Sabince?] Pass was overflowed so that some of the houses washed off of the Blocks and the all [?] washed away. all of the citizens left town and went out to what is called the back ridge. and there is no end to the damages done at sea. but all that owned vessels in Orange seemed ot be in luck not one of them

sustained any damage. Brother was on one of ours down west at the time. the Boat was blown high and dry on the Beach but was not damaged any. Tom has got tire of home and gone off to [Telegraphing?] again has an office at Victoria now I guess he will stay there this summer and the Lord only knows where he will go to from there. he is not like any of the rest of us he is of a roving disposition. look here Kate you must Cheer up and not be giving up to disappointment that will never do. I want you to give me a good long letter in return for this one. I was disappointed myself but I did not let it bother me. I was all ready to start up to [herndon?] three weeks ago and I found out the Creeks were all up and likely to stay so for some time and I know it would not be any pleasure to me if I had all of the Creeks to swim so I thought I would [?] it of until the water went down. the River is higher right now than it has been in two years. you may look for me up that way as soon as the water falls. have you had any more weddings up with you latily[sic] come now you must tell me all the news. you know you have got to give me a good long letter in return for this. I think Capt. [Mone?] and Miss Merriman will give us a wedding before a great while I think it is high time for them to marry they have been courting long enough. you wanted to know the price of that Hydrate of Chloral you just never mind that I have paid for that long ago. How is your Mas[sic] health now. Kate I would watch for the mail every Saturday dont think because the Creeks were up I quit going to the office. all I have to do is to go there I dont have to ask if there is a letter for me I get it without asking. I have not forgotten that Picture yet. I think you have treated me right mean about it you ought to have sent it to me long ago you will have to let me have it if you dont I will worry the life out of you. well Kate I believe I have written all that I can think of at present and I think it is quite enough any way there is as much on one page of mine as there is on all four of yours and I will leave that for you to deside[sic] and it will be in my favor well enough is enough dont you say so too remember me to all the Family. write soon Farewell for the present as ever your most Sincere Friend R.E.R.

PS excuse all errors