A Hard Road to Travel: The Letters of Two Sisters --Part 1

A brand new project for a brand new year...   I have been working on a new short story in the form of a series of letters.   So far, I have four letters written and have no idea where it is going.   I will be adding to it over.... while an undefined period of time.   Since there are several short stories in the pipeline, this one may take a while to finish and other completed stories may appear intermittently.  So for now, read on, McDuff!

A Hard Road to Travel: The Letters of Two Sisters -- Part 1

December 29

Indianapolis, Indiana

Dear Marianne,

We are well here.  It was good to hear from you; got your letter just before Christmas.  Indiana is booming again with people.   Tom and the coop bought two more oxen since we had such a lot of good produce last year.   Winter has started and we are ready.  The children are attending the local school.  Just think Harry is a junior and Janet a sophomore.  Harry took a weekend trip to Bloomington to visit Indiana University.  I wish that Mama would come visit.  I wrote and asked her if she wanted to, but have yet to hear.   I finished my third quilt of the year.  Now, I must work on the last one.

Please write when you get a chance.  I know it takes the post office to deliver in several days.  We hope that the New Year will bring better hope.

Love, Sally

****

January 10

Keene, New Hampshire

Dearest sister Sally,

It was good to hear from you.  Mama had a cold for several days and she promises to write. She mentioned coming in the early Spring.  Good news -- we may come with her.   Bert's been talking about moving closer to you.  The winters are unpredictable here.   We also have a hard time farming the land.   Martha and Brian are both ready to start 5th grade.  Sometimes I wonder if they should have been a year apart in school, but some days I'm just happy they lived to go to school.

Well, must close.  I find it so hard to actually write a letter these days with pen and paper.

Love Marianne

****