Erasmus R. Fawcett - 1852-07-31

Dear Sister
                Your very acceptable letter of the 5th inst was rec'd about ten days ago.  it was not mailed at St. Charles untill the 11th.  I should have answered it sooner had it not been for several poor reasons but the principal excuse that I have to offer is that I have gotten to clearly out of practice that I dred undertaking a letter and proably shouldnot now make the attempt had you not in your letter expressed some uneasiness about my health.
        I am now up and about and can eat a full share, though I can not say that I am a sound healthy man, nor do I much expect ever to be what I was when we were at Callegan's.
        I am gld to know that you and the ballance of our connections are arousd to the importance of health,  there is no man of intelligance, but what knows that health and death are two subjects of the utmost importance to him.  still he will treat them as the most trivial matters.  it seem that we are not to be allowd the excuse of lack of warning.  our Dear Father, Mother and half of the Brothers are gon, and besides, the children to whom we were dearly attachd to we have had to give up our very highly respected sister Susan.  I do not believe that we can get out of the reach of death but I feel very confident that if we had been living at Callegans all this time we would have had better health and would not have lost our Dear friends so soon.
            I hope if you should ever get to Texas you will find it more healthy than St. Charles.   don't give up the intention of leaving that County.
        There is no prospect that I will move to Texas, but I am glad that you all may, as there is a considerable communication between this country and Texas.  we see persons from there frequently, but a live Puke in Kemper County is almost a curiosity.
         From wat I learn of prices in Tenn  am afraid Willis will be dissappointed in this country almost every thing has gon up  and up untill it has got out of a poor man's reach.  Mules, horses & cows are selling here for near twice as muh as they brought while Willis was here.  I was in Gainesville a few weeks ago and saw a horse sell for 150 dollars that I know would not have brought more than 75 six years ago.  200 and 250 is nothing unusual.  Mules have risin as much as horses  the unusual scarsity in Tennessee is assigned as one of the causes of the high prices.
                Charles Mc Mahon was here to dinner yesterday in good health & spirits.  he resembles his father a great deal more than the other boys.  He is now riding about throug these sand hills collecting accounts for past storage and electionering for the next season.  I think he is doing a successfull business.  He reports all well at Gainesville.  Ann & I were down there a short time since.  we found Sister Elizabeth, Bob and the ballance in fine spirits.  they all looked like they had been fareing like the rich man that dressed in purple, but I hope they will never get to that place where he old gentleman was in such great want of a little water.  The citizens were clever as usual, but their town looked like there was a scarsity of white paint owen probably to the affects of the Mobile & Ohio rail road which is now being made to run through Kemper Co. which will of corse cut off a great portion of the trade    it is thought by some that the town will be almost entirely desserted.    Bob still has strong hopes that he will get out of his pecuniary troubles.  he stands up to it manfully.  I do very sincerly hope he man overcome them.  Their little girl called Belly is vey interesting.  its hard to say which of its parents it most resembles it [seal] now very evident that she will have a brother or sister before long.  Ethelbert is at Gainesville on his way from New Orleans to North Alabama   he had been down with a feaver and is now staying a while at G to recover his stength
    Waterman is engaged selling Groceries &c on commissions at Gainesville.  the bal of the family are in N. Ala.  Jno. has gon up from N. Orleans several weeks ago.
    The Planters have had a seasonable summer, wheat & Oats crops have done very well this crop of corn will be the largest ever made in the country.  their cotton looks promising.  peas & potatoes are unusually promising.
    Tell Jeyes that I am much oblige to him for several newspapers, and I am not sure but I owe him a letter.  whether I do or not, if any thing strange should happen, i will try to drop him a line & thereby get clear of the debt.
        Our little boy is now allmost red of an affliction eaqual to some of jobes.  it was an eruption or breaking out resembling to some extent both the heat & chickenpox.  but it was worse than both of them put together.  You may readily imagine that he done some crying.  his mother has said, & she repeats a dozen times every day, that he is the worst child she ever saw, but I dont think her in earnest.  he is now mischiefous & playfull.
        Ann & her mother both send their respects.  Ann says she is willing to go to Texas as soon as things can be got in readiness.
        Give my love to Sisters Net & Crish    also Brothers Willis & Keyes.

Very Affectionately
Yr Brother
E. R. Fawcett