Letter and envelope from Mary Etta Syphus, Panaca, Nevada to John M. Bunker, St. Thomas, Nevada

Letter and envelope (with stamp) from Mary E. Syphus, Panaca, Nevada, to John M. Bunker, St. Thomas, Nevada, dated October 4, 1894.
Envelope addressed:
Mr. John M. Bunker, St. Thomas, Nevada.
Page 1
Panaca, Nev.,
line
1
Oct. 4, 1894.
line
2
Mr. John M. Bunker,
line
3
St. Thomas, Nev.
line
4
Dearest John:-
line
5
I am just home from school and
line
6
am as tired as I care to be, but as this
line
7
is my only opportunity to write I shall
line
8
make the best of it.
line
9
I cannot tell you how anxiously
line
10
I awaited your letter, and how pleased
line
11
I was to hear from you last night.
line
12
We almost dreaded the mail to
line
13
come for fear we would get bad
line
14
news;—I mean something much
line
15
worse than we did hear.
line
16
We knew that you boys had been
line
17
gone three weeks and had not
line
18
returned, and, as we did not hear
line
19
from any of you last Satraday, we
Page line
2
1
thought you were not back, or someone
line
2
would have written, so we were more than anxious last night.
I see, by the date of your letter and Clara's, that both were written to come by last mail. Suppose you did not post them in time or else they were delayed.
Am so sorry you all have been so unfortunate,, but still am very thankful that nothing of a more serious nature occured. It seems to bad you couldn't find the horses after trying so long, And I know you are dissapointed in not being able to go north as you intended.
When, do you think you will go, or do you still intend going? I am sorry the school-year will be so far gone before you can enter.
I shall hate to know you are so far off again for so long, though it seems I ought to be used to that for I have never known much else. If I am used to it, I am not happy, and never shall be in your absence.
I sometimes think I should feel quite contented if our homes were in
Page
2
line
3
line
4
line
5
line
6
line
7
line
8
line
9
line
10
line
11
line
12
line
13
line
14
line
15
line
16
line
17
line
18
line
19
line
20
line
21
line
22
Page
3
line
1
line
2
line
3
line
4
line
5
line
6
line
7
the same place so I could see you and speak to you often. How strange it seems that we know so little of each other, and, yet, seem to know each other so well. I often think, how strange the way we met, and, even, that we ever met at all.
I can’t help but think of the poor opinion you have of yourself, or, rather of the character you gave yourself, to me. I didn't believe it was true, and don't now, but I can't forget it.
You said in your letter you would not bother me more with
the details of your trip, Now, if you knew how anxious I was to hear, you wouldn't have thought you were bothering me any. I am interested in all that you are; at least I hope I am.
I wanted to write to Clara this mail but shall not have time, nd. my hand trembles so I can hardly write at all. I am so tired when school is out at night I can hardly do anything. It seems to be
Page
3
line
8
line
9
line
10
line
11
line
12
line
13
line
14
line
15
line
16
line
17
line
18
line
19
line
20
line
21
line
22
Page
4
line
1
line
2
line
3
line
4
line
5
line
6
line
7
line
8
line
9
line
10
line
11
line
12
harder work than ever this year. Every year I have taught I have thought I would not try it again but when the times comes for school to open I am too glad to teach. I like my department better than any I have had before, and
when I get along well all day, and have good recitations, I think I like to teach almost as well as to stay at home. Before this year the grammar department has not been divided, but now we are trying to grade the schools better. I have third and fourth readers in my school and besides that I hear five of Chari's classes recite in my department every day. Some of his fourth and fifth readers come in for, arithmetic; grammar, geography, physiology, and history.
A good many of the pupils in physiology and history haven't text books yet, so I have to give the lessions in lecture form and then ask questions themv on them. Of course I have
Page
4
line
13
line
14
line
15
line
16
line
17
line
18
line
19
Page
5
line
1
line
2
line
3
line
4
line
5
line
6
line
7
line
8
line
9
line
10
line
11
line
12
line
13
line
14
line
15
line
16
line
17
line
18
line
19
be better for both
to prepare every night, and it is
Page 6 line 1
usually about bed time when I
line 2
get at it. I have to be up by six
line 3
and it is sometimes twelve when
line 4
I retire and now I am begining
line 5
to feel like I haven’t had a good
line 6
rest for a month.
line 7
Quite a number of the pupils are
line 8
good hands to criticize a teacher
line 9
when they are out of school, so I am
line 10
going to work all the harder for I
line 11
don't, propose giving them a chance
line 12
to give me any poor criticizoms if
line 13
I can help it.
line 14
I am glad Clara is looking
line 15
and feeling better. Shall be very
line 16
glad when she comes home. Should
line 17
like her to stay as long as she wishes
line 18
to though, but I know your Ma has
line 19
to work harder than she ought.
line 20
Della is quite ill and has been for
line 21
several days. We shall all feel so
line 22
Written across top of Page 5 badly to see
line 1
Ellen go away
line 2
from here, but
line 3
know it will
line 4
line 5
Written across top of Page 5
her and Harry.
line 6
Julia is very
line 7
anxious to go
line 8
back to the
line 9
Muddy, and
line 10
sometimes Ma
line 11
and Pa say they
line 12
are going this
line 13
winter. I sup-
line 14
pose I shall be
line 15
the only one that
line 16
can't go.
line 17
Well, I must
line 18
Written across top of Page 4
stop this idle
line 1
talk for want
line 2
of more time.
line 3
Don't read
line 4
what doesn't
line 5
interest you.
line 6
I suppose Clare
line 7
will give me a
line 8
scolding for
line 9
not writing
line 10
to her. Tell her
line 11
I will write
line 12
next mail.
line 13
With much
line 14