Family:John McLeod and Sarah Fletcher (1)

Letters

October 30, 1916

Mr J A McLeod Washougal Wash

Sacramento Cal October 30, 1916

Mr J A McLeod

I have not felt any asthma since I got here. The climate is fine. Brother is very well. Pleased to have me with him. I inclose a few coupons which you can send for whatever you wish to get. best regards

Mrs M Gibbons address Sacramento Cal 1025 1/2 L street

November 2, 1916

Mrs. M. Gibbons 1025 1/2 L Street Sacramento, California

Washougal Nov 2d/16

My Dear Friend

Your very welcome letter came to me this morning and I cannot tell you how glad I was to hear from you and that you was free so far from Asthma. Don't it feel good to sleep all night without choking up. When I was up in Canada I never felt it -- but the Cold was terrible there. Now I do hope you will get over it there and I believe you will. It is a good thing that you are in a position to take a Vacation and you know living is not worth while if you are in misery and Asthma is certainly bad. I wish I could aford to do as you have done but you know Poverty can't be helped and I have Just to bear it. However I might be worse all day. I am well and able to work and kind of enjoy life. But there is something lacking after a man or woman raises a family and they all grow up and leave him or her. He feels like a back number of a Newspaper no good. That is the position I fancy I and you are in but of course we are able to look after ourselves especialy you. I supose you will be lonesome for a while. I know how that feels but it is nice to be with your Brother. I miss you here and was always glad to see you drive down. I seen Mrs. Charlie and gave her you Cheque for the last lot of cream. As far as I know your folks is all well now. Dear Mrs. Gibbons you will think this is a long foolish letter but there is more I would like to write but am not sure how you would feel about it. However be sure anything I will write or say will be with the greatest respect to you. Now I will bring this letter to a close.

Oh yes what did you want me to get with your Coupons. You did not say. Now good bye for this time with kindest wishes for your health and hopeing you will write me soon to Cheer a poor old Scotchman like me. A letter somewhat longer than your other. I would like also you tell me if I may write looking forward to a closer friendship. Good Bye. Your friend J A McLeod

November 6, 1916

Sacramento Cal Nov 6th 1916 Mr J A McLeod

Dear Friend

I received your most welcome letter this morning and was very glad to hear from you I will be glad to hear from you at anytime and hope your health will be better you did not tell me how your boy is getting hope he will get along nicly is he able to be up and do you see him often it is bad to be separated from our loved ones especially when they are sick. You wanted to know what I wished you to get with the coupons I sent but I have forgoten just what the Premiums are if you will send me some I will mark what I would like and if there is enough of them you can send for them for me I will not ask you to send them down here I can get them when I come home.

We have had a little rain here the last few days and it is still cloudy you did not say how the weather was up there I hope it is good for if the weather gets bad I will have to get some one to care for my stalk I know it would be bad if I havbe to go home to take care of them for it is so cold and damp up there will be Pleased to hear from you at anytime Your letters are very welcome

Good bye your Friend Mrs. M Gibbons

November 8, 1916

Washougal Nov 8th 16

Dear Mrs. Gibbons

Your kind letter came last night and you may be assured I was glad to hear from you and hope this will fiend you real well as I am at preasant and I thank you for your kindness in saying my letters are welcome to you. now in regard to the Coupons there is just about 150 lbs and the only article they have in Portland for that is spoons & meat fork. When I got there I will Pick up something for the coupons and keep them till you come back. I was down in Portland last Sunday and my son is no better. In fact I don't look for him to get better but hope he will. He has Bright's disease and you know that is almost fatal. Well Dear friend you asked me about the weather here. It is cold & raining near all the time this last week. I supose it will continue now until next summer. I hope you are better of the asthma there. It will be such a relief to you even for a short time. I had to sit up in bed last night for 1/2 an hour, could hardly breathe and thought of you there and wishing I was with you now. You realize I hope that there can be but one right way for you and I if we continue to corespond and I would be very happy if I was sure of your love as you are of mine. I have said it now and do hope you will not be offended for I have loved you for quite a while but never got the chance to tell you. Now don't say I am foolish for if we are quite old we have a right to enjoy life and one another as younger People have. Now if you answer and say you are not offended we will come to an understanding when you come home and I promise you if you consent to marry me I will devote the rest of my life to make you happy. Anyway I believe if you refuse you will never tell any one how foolish I am. I supose my children would say so anyway and yours to but they have left us and love others more than us which is natural. I supose if you have no one to look after your stock they will need care soon as it is unusually cold for this time of year. There is snow up in Larch Mountain across the River in Oregon. How long do you expect to remain there. Kindly tell me in your next. God bless and keep you safe forever. Good Bye for this time. With kindest love my dear friend

J A McLeod

November 11, 1916

Sacramento Cal 1916 Nov 11th

My Dear Friend

Your most welcome letter came this morning I was very glad to hear from you but so sorry to hear that you are not well and also that you do not feel incouraged about your son in regard to the premiums I think I would like the meat for best Yes I am better I have not felt any asthma since I came here but caught a bad cold last Sunday and came near having Pneumona this week but am better now My Brother and sister in law have been awfuly good to me and have hot water bottles on me every night so I am much better today

I don't think you will have any reason to doubt my love for you althow we have not been together very much do you realy think you are fools to love me if so don't do it I don't think so

Oh I think Charlie will let me know about my Stalk and if there is noone to see about them I will have to come home

I do not know how long I will be here George and Fannie my Brother and sister in law want me to stay all winter but I am undecided yet I would not think of starting home alone very soon after my sick spell especialy when it is so cold and disagreeable up there I was sick most of the way down on the train -- with best wishes for your health I am as every your Friend

Mrs M Gibbons

we don't need to say anything to our children about our affairs at least I don't you can do as you like about it but my children don't ask me about anything

yours truly

S A G

November 15, 1916

Washougal Nov 15/16

My Dear love

Your kind letter came last night and am sure if you fell as happy aas I do about our affairs I could be thankful I am so sorry my dear giirl that you have been so sick and I sincearley hope you are better now I only wish I could see you but we both have learned to be patient and Our time will come well in one way I am glad you are there because for week now it has been as cold as was anytime last winter but no snow heavy east wind & frost I hope it is warmer soon as it is certainly disagreable my son is no better I hear from them in Portland regularly and I expect to go down there next Sunday I have not seen any of your folks lately but Mrs Joe Gibbons they are all well as far as I know I will be so glad when I see you again but I think as you do that you better not undertake the trip back in your preasant condition and also the miserable weather here don't you thin it would be nice if it were possible for us to live in Calafornia do you supose there would be a chance for me to make a living for us there I mearly sugest this think it over I could be happy I think anywhere with you did you think I though it was foolish for you and I to love each other I think it is about the only real wise act of my life for a long time but our folks would think different but that would cut no figure with me now my darling be careful of your self I am glad your folks is so thoughtful of you but I fell that I could be more and do more for you than anyone else when you are not well anyway my love be thankful that you don't have the asthma there I understand that that country is almost a cure for it now my dear I will conclude this note but be sure I think of you near all the time I will be so glad when we meet Good Bye for this time

J A McLeod

I think you my Dear for being so Punctual in asnwering and will look eagerly foward for a letter from you we must write as often as we receive a letter from each other or oftener now Darling God Bless and Keep you safe my Dear Sarah with all my love to you write soon

John

November 17, 1916

Sacramento Cal Nov 17 1916

My Dear Friend

I just received your loving letter and was so glad to hear from you once more you don't need to feel doubtful about my love for you so you can just feel thankful Sorry your son is no better I know how to feel for you and am hoping and praying for your son to get better I just had a letter from Joe and one from my sister in Portland all well Joe said it is cold up there but clear I am glad there is no snow

I will think it over about living in California but I don't think I would like to live in California in summer they tell me it is so awfully hot here and I can not stand very hot weather Fannie my sister in law is not feeling well this morning are you feeling any better than when you wrote before I sincearly hope so for it is very bad to be sick and no one to take care of you I feel as you do I would like to be there and take care of you but we can't have everything go as we want so just have to be Patient if you cant read this send it back and I will read it for you

with love and best wishes I am as ever loving Fiend

Sarah A Gibbons

PS I would like to sell my lot in Washougal it would give me a little more money to work on

Sarah

November 18, 1916

Sacramento Cal Nov 18 1916

Mr McLeod

Dear Friend

I red a letter from Lillie this morning saying my stalk need to be in and if they are not taken care of I am afraid they will be suffering from cold and want of feed now if some of them don't take care of them I will have to come home and take care of them now if I come home and everything is satisfactory to you and me after we have a talk about our affairs if we get married will you or can you make up your mind to go out on the Place with me and help me take care of my stalk if so I will come home as soon as I get your letter

Althow I would have liked to stay a little longer here I can not stand it if my stalk are suffering

best love to you

I am as ever your Friend

Sarah

November 20,1916

Washougal 11/20/16

My Darling

Your welcome letter came last night -- Sunday I just got back from Portland and your letter was in the office at 8 O Clock P.M. my boy was some better yesterday but his sister told me last week was a real bad time for him well my Dear I don't remember when I was so glad to get a letter as yours last night I guess I must have read it 3 or 4 times through and I put it under my pillow and read it again the first thing this morning I am Just longing for the time when I can have you in my arms my Dear love you did not say if you was over your cold or not but I suppose you are or you would have told me as for myself my health is not so bad only at nights I get chocked up with the Asthma and have to sit up and doctor myself until I get better I need not tell you how it fells as you are aflicted that way yourself that is the reason I mentioned Calafornia as a place for us if we could make a living there say a small business of confectionary ets &c or any small Business that did not need much money to swing it -- a few hundred dollars or fur us to rent a Chicken ranch until something better turned up or anything we could make something at if we are both got over the Asthma how good it would be but of course parts of Calafornia is hot in Summer and parts are not I understand of course you are there and better able to Judge than I am and what you say goes love you said If I could not read your letter to send it back I can read it all right and the best part of it is that you love me I just long to see you sweetheart but they say everything comes to the man or woman that waits and you will come to me in the right time the weather is cold here this morning I am shivering for my old Shack down here it is not warm yet now darling write soon for your letter are just the only comfort I have at all be careful of your self my dear Sarah god bless and keep you save and watch over you my Sweetheart Good Bye now write

John