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Sallie is the wife of brother Edward (Buddie), who had Typhoid. Cousin Giles Smith (who died of typhoid malaria) is likely the son of one of Clarissa Shine Smith’s sons.

Transcription:

(Little punctuation used.  Periods seem to be used for commas sometimes.)

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Oaky Streak. Ala.
Sep 23rd 1893.

My Dear Sister

I will have to beg pardon this time for delaying so long in answering your more than welcome letter which was received about ten days ago.  I have been just as busy as you ever saw any body in your life and really havnt had time to write to any one.  We are having a great deal of sickness in our community and what time I can spare from the cotton patch and from the sick ones at home I have to visit the sick of the community.  Mama & Papa have both been real sick with the last two weeks and Sallie has just gotten up from a spell of Typhoid fever and her baby has been sick he is teething.  Cousin Giles Smith had Typho Malaria and died last week

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and now his wife and four children are sick and Dr Smith is quite sick with the same disease they have Drs Perdue & Broughton of Greenville & Dr Pryor waiting on him.  Dr Pryor is waiting on Cousin Jennie & children he thought Thursday that they had only a bilious attack but I am afraid he is mistaken I stayed with them Thursday night and Cousin Jennie had all symptoms of Typhoid.  Cousin Giles left his family in a destitute condition they are badly in debt. almost naked and almost without anything to eat.  they are certainly to be pitied.  You wrote about your meetings.  We too have had a good meeting.  Some of the best preaching I ever heard.  We had Bro Cox of Greenville with us I guess Bro will remember meeting him at Bro Henry Pilleys he is certainly a fine preacher.  we had ten accessions to the church I think if he could have stayed a few days longer the church would have been greatly revived and that is what we need some

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speak of trying to get him to come back again in Oct and stay longer next time Sis Minnie & Mr Bradwell were with us during the meeting.  I suppose Culpepper is conducting a meeting in Greenville now.  I would like so much to attend but it will be impossible for us to go at all I want Ma & pa to go but Ma says she is afraid they might get sick up there they are sick so much anyway.  Buddie & Gussie have gone to Searight tonight.  Buddie preaches there tonight and tomorrow.  Sister I think the name you have selected for the baby real pretty either Etta or Yetta is pretty I think but Mama wants you to name her Frankie Boney and call her Frankie.  Boney is after our new neighbor Mrs Mcferrin We still like them very much they are just as good neighbors as any body ever had.  I heard that Essie was going to marry soon is it true?  if so who is to be the lucky one to win such an angelic creature as she.  I must tell you of a marriage we

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had two weeks ago it was Mary Pitts to an old man Cooper a baptist preacher he is about seventy years old and has about fifteen children but only about five with him.  she is his third wife his second died just five months ago and left a wee tiny baby.  We have some fine turnips but it is so dry now it seems like they are all trying to die.  we have plenty of beans & peas and potatoes & bread but not much meat.  it is so high and cotton is so low people just cant afford to buy.  we havnt bought a pound nor dont expect to.  our crop was badly injured by the drouth and we will have to live hard for a while to catch up.  this has been the hardest year we have ever seen and every body predicts that next year will be worse than this.  God grant that it may be better.  Now dear Sister I will close by asking you to write to us often if its only (a line?) we are glad to get that much give my

love to all.  I wont say kiss them all for me for that would be too great an undertaking for one poor little weakly woman like you.  with much love I am your devoted Sister

Queenie, S.