Letter fragment, continuation: 'he is of course much dispirited' — spring planting, family visits, drive to Mr. Barnwell's
Book 1, Page 34 ·1880s-1890s
Transcription
A single page of a handwritten letter in blue ink, in the same hand as p033. No salutation, signature, or date is visible on this page; the page begins and ends mid-sentence. This is a continuation of the p033 letter, written by one of the compiler’s grandmothers (most likely Susan Milliken Barker FitzSimons, paternal grandmother d. 1900) staying with the compiler’s parents Sam and Minnie FitzSimons.
[…] he is of course much dispirited by it and wrote Sam to send him one to drive. Nathalie Ferguson & her father are going on to Washington soon. Sam Sent Sister a very nice message about making them a visit while she was so near to Mississippi. Sam will begin to plant on Monday and we expect Seaman tomorrow to take Etta & Kit back on Monday. Minnie will have a visit very soon from Chattie & Rhett & Cecile Inglesby. Everything looks like spring now, we drove to Mr. Barnwell’s yesterday & the birds were pouring out their throats in song. The woods bright with Jasmine, Maple & Red Bud and their field of oats so fresh & green through which we drove to the house seemed as though the winter had really disappeared suddenly for only a week ago the Mercury was down to freezing point & swift […]
AI Notes
A single page of a longer handwritten letter in blue ink, with no salutation, signature, or date visible. This is almost certainly a later page of the same letter that opens on p033 — the same blue ink, the same hand, and the same household. With the p033 attribution (Amy FitzSimons Walker’s pencilled annotation: ‘This letter written by my grand mother while staying with my mother & father. A.F.W.’), the writer is one of Amy’s grandmothers staying with Amy’s parents Sam (Samuel Gaillard FitzSimons Sr.) and Minnie (Mary Anne Perry FitzSimons). The cast of characters strongly suggests the writer is Susan Milliken Barker FitzSimons (paternal grandmother, d. 1900): her son Sam preparing to plant Monday; her son Seaman (Sinkler) FitzSimons expected tomorrow to take Etta (Henrietta Gaillard, his wife) and Kit (Christopher FitzSimons Jr.) back; her grand-niece Nathalie Ferguson (daughter of Sam Ferguson and granddaughter of Abby Ann Barker — the Barker line connection); her daughter-in-law Minnie expecting visits from Chattie, Rhett & Cecile Inglesby; and a drive to Mr. Barnwell’s with jasmine, maple, and red bud all in bloom. The name reads Minnie (the leading letter is M, not I — the compiler’s mother Mary Anne Perry ‘Minnie’ FitzSimons). The date_range of 1880s–1890s reflects the Aspen reference on p033 and Sam and Minnie’s 1887 marriage.
Letter continues on a page not present in this scan sequence.