Letters from Home - Post 12

This is the eleventh letter in the stack of Letters from Home to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer, residing in the San Diego, California area after 1887. An explanation of the family members and situation is here.

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Letter from Abigail (Vaux) Smith in San Diego to son Davie Smith probably in McCook Neb. No envelope.

San Diego Monday Nov 7th 1892

Dear Son. I thought I would try and write again this week. Della thinks if there is not any particular news it will help you pass away a little time reading it. We got up at 6, Lyle cut a tooth through and he has felt cross all day. Did him lots of good about 2 o'clock Mr. Lewis came and changed the steps and nailed them up good he stood at the screen door nearly all the time then Mrs. Blankford of Nat[ional] City her little red headed girl too came to wait for the motor staid to supper so he had a fine time. Della says he is like her when he feels bad if any one comes in they forget all about it. It took me an hour since supper to get him to sleep and his head is wet with cold sweat he will be all right but his teeth come hard. We cut and made that babies dress to day charged 15 cts. It was all wool good, red we put silk fancy stitches on it looks nice.

Your letter came this morning made me shiver thinking of the snow Tuesday. Della got two days sewing to do downtown on 10th Street a lady Mrs. Loring recommended to her as she is going to have a baby and Della did so well for her she tries to get others to have her. She is cutting and fitting a dress for the lady Mrs. Shaw by name after today the lady will finish it herself then next week wants her to bring her little patterns and cut and baste a few days. She gets 1.00 a day this week and car fare paid. Will get 15 cts on babies clothes .

Lyle feels a little better today but chews everything he can get hold of. I tell him I know he will throw paper wads in school. He has filled my lap full of his playthings then makes believe hand me something. It is so cute it seems we were all of the same mind by your letter. Wonder what little angel inspired us alike about giving Lyle a Dollar apiece. But it seems he has missed the one Phila gave him. Della says she is glad you had it sent before you got her letter. Della came home this evening feeling well did not get verry tired. Had a nice visit with the lady. It seems her husband clerks at Hamilton only been married a year. Mrs. Loring has an 8 lb girl. She was verry sick is doeing well now.

Wednesday, 11 A.M. Della had to get her own breakfast this morning as Lyle woke me at 4 cried a long time with colic and I was sound asleep at getting up time. She wanted to get to work at half past 8 as it gets dark almost at 5 and she had to have a light last evening. Will go to Mrs. Bicks this evening to get my dress and try on her own if it is ready. She expects a Mr. Patten to come for a lesson in plush painting tomorrow. His parents are well pleased with his landscape picture. Lyle clung to my dress skirts all this morning wanted to go every place I did until I thought I would never get the work done up when I scrubbed the kitchen floor. I laid down a chair in the dining room door and kept him in here and he thought he was terribly abused as soon as I took him and gave him his milk he went in to sleep. Yesterday I could not get him to sleep until after three o'clock. The weather is just lovely.

Thursday 9 AM Della expected to get time this morning to write in this but she had to sew again today so it hurried her to get ready she just got this read and approved when it was time to start so she says Ma you tell him how it is and I will write Sunday so I will send this when the mail man comes. Lyle is feeling pretty well this morning. Hope you have not frosted your feet. I pity you so there in the cold. I suppose we are to hurrah for Cleveland.

Bye lots of love Mother and all.

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Here is the first letter we have from the people in San Diego to the folks back in McCook, Nebraska.

Abby gives us some insight into the antics of her one year old grandson Lyle Carringer. He is cutting teeth and having a hard time, wakes during the night, brigs things for grandma to hold, and clings to her skirts. We forget that our ancestors were babies and children, and acted like most babies and children.

Della is trying to earn money by sewing and teaching painting, so Grandma Abby gets to take care of her grandson and loves the time she spends with him, although it taxes her.

The election is just over, and Grover Cleveland has just defeated Benjamin Harrison. The economic Panic of 1893 is just around the corner, but they don't know it. It sounds like, from the letters so far, the economic times have been challenging.