Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - March 16, 1921

Old Mission Mich Mar. 16th 1921

My Dear Miss Taft-

We received your letter & have given it a great deal of thought. There are better wager offered us & several places open to us any time we are willing to take them. But when we leave your place it will either be the City or a farm of our own. We have decided to work for you until the lst o Sept. for the same wager we are getting now. But not any later than that except there are different arrangements made. I tried to get Joseph to ans. your letter but he would not. So have written exactly as he wished to have me.

Of late we have been trying to get to T.C. once a monh for groceries & find we can save considerable.

You have a new family of red babies here. There were 7 of them & one was not strong & died so there are 6 left now were born the 10 of Mar.

The other hogs are ready for market. I called Mr. Z. up last week & he was paying .07 for stags & deducts 70 lbs. from weight & .09 cents for the very best. We had arrangements made to take them in Sat. & your letter did not come until Mon. so held them over we did not know your plans.

Joseph made 2 trips & got both the grain & hay. All was in very good condition.

The fall seeding is all frozen out. We have had so much cold weather & no snow to speak of that it could not survive. I thought I had best mention it now so you would know. The ground is frozen the hardest this Spring that is had been since we lived in Mich. There are about 10 feet of water in the cow pasture and also Mr. Ashmore clover & hay field. You never saw such a sight. Joseph had a very queer dream about you & that pond of water. He thought you arrived here during the night & got stuck in that mud puddle. What next will happen?

I feel very sorry for you & you have my sympathy. I know how it is to be so sick. My experience of 2 years ago has not worn off yet. And to lie it bed & hear my poor neglected baby crying & no one to care for it was all most more than I could endure. Please be careful & try to keep well. You looked so well & healthy last summer. It made me feel happy to see you enjoy your self after your long term of teaching.

Both children have been exposed to whooping couch I hope they escape it. But fear not. Hazel did not look very well tonight & has coughed several times since she went to bed.

We will all be glad to have you back with us again in a few months.

The last small hog was sold for 5.00 Will I deposit the money or keep it here. Mr. Christopher bought it all most 2 weeks ago.

Joseph's dinner Mar. 9th .30

                   12th  .30

Barn rent " 9th .20

                "  12th  .20

1.00 $10.54 to your credit $ l.00

 9.54 to your credit Mar. 12th 1921

With love Essie Kitchen