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The letter describes in detail the illness, the surgical treatment and the death, and gives us a good picture of medicine in 1913.

Henrietta was 64 when she died.

Transcription:

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

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Brantley, Ala, June 16 - 1913.

Mrs. Loduska Shine,
Leggett, Texas.

Dear Sister

Your kind letter of the 11th inst. received.  I have been so completely bowed down with this load of sorrow that I have not had the inclination to write to you or any one else and I hope you will not censure me for not doing so.  For the last two or three years her health has been failing and I knew it could not be very long before she would have to give it up.  She took various remedies but none of them was more than temporary relief.  Her condition finally became so bad that Dr Moxley, after a thorough examination, told her that she would have to go to Montgomery for an operation.  I was afraid she could

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not stand the trip but she did.  Dr Hill kept her there two days to prepare her for the ordeal.  I am sure he did not have much hope of relieving her as he told me that her condition was desperate.  She stood the operation much better than I thought but still I had very little hope of her recovery.  While operating he sent a nurse to tell me to come to the operating room.  He told me that he wanted me to see for myself the nature of her trouble, but I could not remain in the room and I told him to do the very best he could for her.  Attached to the bladder and the kidneys and extruding up each side of the abdomen were two pockets of puss (sic) which the doctors decided not to remove as they thought it would result in her death if it were done.  They removed the puss (sic) and left a tube in the wound so as to let the balance escape.  She partly recovered that evening from the effects

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of the ether and I had a faint hope that she would recover.  Next morning they sent for me very early to come over to the infirmary.  I knew then what it meant.  As soon as I intered the room I saw that death was doing its work and my last hope was gone.  That was Sunday morning and she gradually grew weaker until death relieved her of her pains at 1:30 P.M.  When she fell asleep I rejoiced to know that she was where she would never more suffer another pang of pain and she was at rest with all those she loved and lost.  Her last words were a request that Henry Pilley offer prayer for her which he did.  I had her embalmed and when I brought her home and looked at her face I thought I never saw her look so young and beautiful.

Our many friends here laid her in her tomb at this place where I can see it often and care for it.  Mrs Pilley and Ida Shine, Bries' (Brice's?)

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wife and H. B. Pilley were with me at Montgomery and Mrs. P. and Ida came down to the burial.  Ima and her husband Aubry Smith came up from Dozier, Ed came with Emmet from Oaky Streak and my brother, J. S. Bradwell, came from Georgia to see her put away.  The people have shown me every mark of sympathy but the Lord alone can assist me in this sorrow.  I hope Hicks will have recovered by this and that he is all right again.  I have no good picture of her to send to you.  I have one large picture but it is not a good one of her and I want to keep that.

Now I have a request to make of you and it is this:  when you read this letter put in an other envelope and send it to Gus Shine's family.  I shall have to decline coming to Texas at present as all I have is now invested in the crop on the farm and

I must stay with it for the present.  But I hope to come to see you all some time in the future.  As ever
your brother in sorrow
I G Bradwell