George Harvey Marshall Ripley, Titus County, Texas - April 1, 1878 Ripley Texas April 1st 1878 Mrs. Mary Elliott My Dear Sister after delaying a long time I will now attempt to answer your kind and very welcome letter. I hope you will not think we do not appreciate your letters or dont care for hearing from you, because we appear negligent in replying; indeed it affords me a gret deal of pleasure to hear from my dear relatives and friends in my native state. My time and attention is very much engaged in my business at present, but I hope to be more at leisure after a while. Both our family and Williams are enjoying tolerable good health. I believe the health of this country is good generally, though there are some cases of sickness. Our little girl is growing very fast. I do wish you could see her, I know you would love her. We have moved to our new home, I have been living in the same house with William since I was married. I think I will be tolerably well fixed for living if I can succeed in finishing my improvements as I have planned to do. I will have a moderately good house when finished and a splendid well of water in my yard which is indeed a great blessing to us. We are having the earliest spring I ever experienced, tis now only the middle of April and the trees are robed in green. A great many of them have leaves fully grown. Vegetables are growing fine we have set our cabbage plants and have been using early vegetables for some time. Farmers are plowing their corn and some have planted cotton. There is a fine prospect for fruit both apples and peaches if not blasted by a late frost. Easter comes very late this year and some fears a frost about that time. It was a sad piece of news to us when you spoke in your letter of Bro. Jaspers wifes death We had not heard of it before and sympathised very deeply with him, but we must all die sooner or later, and would to God it were in our hearts to move to prepared for the great change. I hope that God has granted to our dear brother that consolation which He alone can give. We have not heard from Gustus in some time. Would love very much to receive a letter from him. I expect he was very much dissatisfied with Texas, but I dont think he knew very much about the country he did not stay long enough to learn very much about it. I am very well pleased with Texas and expect to make it my home. I was not pleased when I first came to the state but have become very well satisfied since, I think by practicing economy and industry I can make a good living for my family if the Lord will bless my labor You know without this blessing upon our work we will not prosper anywhere. I want to make some inquiries about my old friends and playmates of my boyhood days. Tell me in your next letter what has become of Ab Elliott and Jim Hattens boys. I feel interested in them and should lik to learn what has become of them. As it is growing late I must close my letter hoping you will replay soon. Give my love to all your family and relatives. I remain as ever your brother G.H.Marshall © Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved