Kemp, Texas Aug 30th 1866

My Dear Dear Sister Kate

Once more I have taken my seat to write to you my darling sister.  Why have we not heard from you? Never in life have I been so long without hearing from you.  I have not written it is true, but it has been but a very short time since we have had any mail.  I have never heard one word from you since bro Steve left you one time through home folks.  That was in May I believe.  Kate it has been so long since I've heard from you that I hardly know how to commence writting.  In the first place I'll say we've enjoyed most excellent health this year untill about the 1st of the mo Mr. Noble was sick about 2 weeks with inflamation of the stomach had no fever at all.  He suffered immensely was confined to bed 8 or 10 days.  We set up with him several nights.  Jane nor I have had no sickness at all.  There has been a right smart of sickness in the country of a light character generally.  Roe & Frank had a little spell of chills in June.  All are very well now however.  Nattie & Frank are not at home, have been gone a week are water bound at Warsaw Reae is getting a little tired keeping back.  He stood it finely for some time.  He goes hunting every night staid out all night last night.  He & Dick (Dock?) did not kill any thing either.  He came up & breakfasted with me this morning.  I heard from home the 8th of the mo.  They were all having the chills, Mother & any(?) Don't you pity them? Elizer (?) J(?) had had only three.  Sayed she was 20 lbs. lighter than she was last winter.  EJ sayed most every family were having chills, except (torn away) none of them had been sick except Reae who had had a few fevers.  She did not mention J B & Matt.  She sayed some of Sister Mag's children were chilling.  I can't hear much from home, none of them wrote but E J & she is always in a hurry or something that she don't write much.  I sometimes yearn for one long letter from Kate at home.  I know she used to write me so much & what always interested me.  Taylor stayed 5 months with us and went to school here, went home 1st of July.  He is now at Kickapoo going to school to Mr. Allen.  I heard from him about 2 weeks since.  He was doing well, well pleased (?) Taylor was very studious while he was here, was a great favourite with all, particularly with his teacher, we were very anxious for him to come back, but our school did not begin until 1st of Sept & his time was so precious that he did not want to loose any time.  Taylor is a great boy "Uncle Abe" thought there never was another such a one.  Jane is perfectly lost since he left.  Jane made considerable progress in her studies particularly in Arithmatic.  She has got to be a great girl to work, can milk very well is great help to me.  Notwithstanding I have several freedmen I have a woman with 4 children 2 girls large enough to be considerable help.  Ben is living with us.  Mr. Noble had a very good crop corn, has no cotton planted twice but failed to get a stand at all.  I think we have wheat enough to do us (rent). we never got our flour or bacon from Mothers.  Consequently, we've had to (?) it this year.  But we have got along finely.  Done just as well without it, had fine garden irish potatoes & so on.  Now we have a fine prospect for sweet potatoes.  We will have hogs enough to make our meat for another year if we are lucky.  Hogs' have died very much from cholera this summer.  We have had a great deal of rain recently creeks are all up this has been a very seasonable year, most too much rain.  We will have a good school here permanently I believe.  Our teachers are CP preachers brothers & we have an interesting Sunday School.  We all take great interest in that.  We sent on & have procured a nice library.  Now don't you think you & Dock had better come down to Kemp & live with us all Rae is very solicitous & you may know that we are.  Kate ??? Abe is talking on so much about you.  He talks about you (all?) you a dozen times a day.  He says he wants to see you so bad he is nearly (ink spilled) says he would rather see you then any other human living.  He says if you don't come down that we have to go to see you this fall.  Nothing would give me more pleasure but I don't know how we could go.  Kate I have one of the greatest husbands you ever saw.  He is a tom(?) down worker, has worked very hard this year & stood it fine untill in the summer t'was working in the bottom & getting so warm that made him sick.  I thought I was going to loose him.  He talked all the time about dying.  Sue Shaw comes down frequently she always inquires about you.  She is gone now to Anderson Co. on a visit.  She has a sweet little boy six months old, named Bob.

(Different writing) Sept 1st

Dear Dock & darling Kate (ends there - I believe that the Sept. 3rd letter below is the actual completion of this letter.)

Sept 3rd (1866)

Dear Dock & Katy -

When you receive this perhaps you will wonder why Mollie did not finish her letter that reason I will try to explain - her letter should have been dated the 29th.  On that day in the evening and whilst she was writing she was taken sick.  She suffered greatly all night at twelve am the next day which was the 30th she became the Mother of two of the pretiest little babes you ever saw both daughters now you want the names I suppose which is Mollie Thomas and Hattie George I wish you saw them.  They are so pretty.  Mollie is so proud of them.  She is doing as well as can be expected.  John Lacy got here last evening came up to get rid of the chills he says nearly every body in Rusk has them says his mother is looking ba(?) and bad from this I think he will remain with us until fall.  We also got a letter from brother Glenn(?) dated the 29th which told us that they had just received a letter from you in which you spoke of coming this fall to Kaufman County we do hope such will be the case for I do think of all the people I want to see you the worst I think this one of the finest countries in the world I am perfectly satisfyed and happy here if you move near us I think we would all be so happy.  Our school begins in the morning if Jane can be spared she will start that I think uncertain at least for one week.  It would astonish you to see how much she loves the babes and the care she takes of her Mother and them - John & her are now gone to church for the purpose of joining in singing as is done on every Sabbath hoping to hear from you soon. (?) saves?) and that you may come to Kaufman.  I close with our best wishes.  I am truly yours, A. W. Noble

(On the side of the back page in a different handwriting - This is from your Grandfather Noble.)