Typed letter fragment continued — Bru' Rabbit and Bru' Wolf game; signed 'Yours aff Ellen'

Rabbit and Bru’ Wolf. Sam was Rabbit and Christie Wolf and they acted the story perfectly by tone of voice and motions. One part of the story tells that the rabbit proposes to the Wolf to go to ride and tie to the party but takes good care to ride first and then does not give Wolf a chance to tie when the time comes. No one was noticing them, and Francis was eating his dinner, so it was quite spontaneous. One of their games is to run each other down and kiss the captured one as long as possible. It is a very pretty game of toucher and their merry laugh makes the house very bright. Thomas can hardly help spoiling them, but Christie is very staunch and if I say “no” even Thomas can’t tempt him to disobey. Sam does not make any pretense at hiding his allegiance to Uncle Tom and as soon as Thomas takes his seat in the evening Sam backs up to him to be lifted to his place where he sits till too sleepy to talk. He says he is named after Uncle Gaily and Grandpa and Grandpa named me and Grandpa give me a cup, all in one breath. They told me tonight that Mamma took up Mas Tado and Seaman in herlap but Papa was the only one that took them up, because Mamma had to hold little boys. Their principal amusement now is falling off a pair of very diminutive stilts made by Francis. I say “falling off” because they don’t ever succeed in walking but fall as soon as they get on. The fun is very great, however. Thomas is devouring a newspaper. His Mother doing the same thing. Mame is deep in one of Anthony Trollope’s novels and the boys in bed, so the house is still tonight and as great a contrast to the bustle in Charleston as possible. We hear that Dr. John Stoney is engaged to Miss Allen, of Barnwell, an orphan worth 60 or 70 thousand dollars. Thomas says “sensible fellow”

Love to Mother and Kate,

Yours aff Ellen.