Letter from a girl in 1872

    Sabine Pass June 29, 1872

Dear Issy

        I am having a nice time all your cousins Aunt and Uncle are well.  Issy I will tell you something but you must not tell anyone that is if you have not walked a lone yet I want you to hurry up and walk.

        Minnie has got a Mockingbird & I expect you had it you would be playing with in and when there was no one looking you would eat the things out of its cage.

        You ough (sic) to see us play croquet we have a splendid time & have a little kitten to play with us & her name is Dolly

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Vardin.

        Sister has learned Chauncey his keys on the piano. He also sends you a sweet kiss.

        Lucy says that she wants you to come over that she wants to see you.  I am sorry you have got the hoopin (sic) cough.

        We send love to all

                From  Ada

        (added in pencil) “now Mrs. C. G. Sweet”

(Note: Ada Pulsipher Phillips was born 9.15.1860, (making her 11) her sister Zulieka Granger Phillips was born July 30, 1858, (making her almost 14) who is noted in this letter to have taught the piano to their cousin Chauncey G. Sweet b. 2.6.1865, (making him just 7) whose sister Lucy A. Sweet was b. 1868 (making her just 4.)

I haven't found that Issy who the letter was addressed to was a relative, but maybe just a friend. However, the thought that it might have been a family member just struck me, because it came back to be treasured by my grandmother, rather than staying in another family.

The penciled remark was probably made by my grandmother, Ada Phillips Swasey Rogers.  She was the daughter of Zulieka Granger Phillips, and niece of Ada who wrote the letter.  The "now Mrs. C. G. Sweet" refers to the fact that Ada who wrote this letter as a child later married Chauncey Sweet, the 7 year old learning his piano keys.  They had no children, but he was a well to do citizen of Galveston TX.

As I've previously posted about Zulieka and Ada Phillips, they were orphaned at the beginning of the Civil War, and lived with several of their mother's sisters, Elizabeth Granger Sweet and Lucy Granger Wakelee.  Elizabeth lived in Sabine Pass, and Lucy in Galveston.

So here's a copy of the photo of the letter, both sides of one sheet.

In considering who the letter might have been addressed to, I have concluded it was to a cousin, Lizzie H. Wakelee, in Galveston probably.  Lizzie was just 1 in June of 1872.  Unfortunately she died in July of that year, and is buried with her brother (who died before she was born) in the Old City Cemetery in Galveston. The month before she died I am sure she received Ada's letter, and perhaps it was returned to the family as a token of the love that these cousins shared.