Continuing from the first part, here are thirty more letters written by Ida:
Hello Sue, I hope you are well. I have no news to write. Wish I was down thare. I have stayed at home so long if I was to get away I would not know how to behave my self. Dont you know I had a card from cousin Nannie the other day. She said she would not be back down thare for any thing, ha ha. What would you all down thare give to have her back, ha ha. You all must come soon write soon. From Ida.
Hello Susin, I dont feal veary well. How are you? Well I hope. You must excuse me for not writin before now. I had to wait till my postal got hear. Well I have no news to write. I got too ducks eggs last Sunday. I bet that was more than you got. Well you must come soon write soon. From M I to Susin. By by.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. I am more than sorry that I could not get down there in xmas. If I had know that Fred had bin coming out there that night that you went home I would more than went with you. I dont know when I can come. Mamma is sick in the bed. You must come soon and rite soon. Good by from M I P. By by.
Hello Sue, I hope your cold and cough is well by this time. Mamma said tell you she was like she had been. She wanted to come down thar to day but she was not able. I am enjoying my self fine. I am in the post card biness up to my eyes, ha ha. Some days I get as many as 6 cards. I thank you all ever so much for them little flowers, for thay was very much apprachated. I sent them away to a foren land and I heard from them to day, ha ha. You all must come real soon and write soon, from Ida.
Hello Sue, I hope you are well. I am well. Would feal better if I had something to eat, ha ha. I have no news to write. Alice and her people is well. I am mad with you. What did you let them flowers frize for? Ha ha. Thare is breath in my few yet, and that is all that I can say, ha ha. You must come and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. I will do that work for you. Send it eny old time. I want to come when I get my little tobacco lade by and stay a week and I will do some more work for you if you will have it ready. Tell Sue I will write to her later. Send the work, I dont need the pay. Now I will see you later, you all must come real soon. By by from M I P. [Postmarked 30 June 1911]
Hello Mit, I hope that you are well. I guess that you are ready for xmas. I am about ready. I have killed hogs. I have got plenty of greace to eat, ha ha. Our hogs waid 569 [pounds]. Have you all kiled yours? Well you see I have got my stocking hung up. I would like to get you to fill it for me if you will, ha ha. Well you all must come and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Sue, hope you are well. I am doing vary well now. I have plenty of something to cook now and I am able to eat it when I get it cooked, ha ha. So you see I am doing well. Well had winter time up hear last week, but we have had summer again to day. Well you all must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. Excuse these cards thay are all that I have.
Hello Willie, how are you? I am well. Why hant you sent me a card before now? I am agoing to beat you. You have not sent me a postal in six months. I got home to day. I had a very nice time while I was gone. Sallie brought me home to day. I felt all right until he started back and then I had to cry after him. Joe is gone to Danville again with a load of tobacco. You must come soon, write soon. From Ida to Willie. By by.
Hello Mit, how are you? I am well. Why dent you come to day? I cooked you a good dinnie to day and you never come to eat it. I am so mad with you, I am not agoing to cook you a mouthfull when you come. Alice got over to see us again last Sunday. Have you all had eny rain down there lately? We have not and I dont see eny thing looking like rain. You all must come real soon and write soon. From M I to Mit.
Hello Mit, how are you? Hope you are well. Are you all most done cutting tobacco? We have cut 3 houses of tobacco and are agoing to cut anothing one tomorro. Well I have no news much to write. You ought to have come last Sunday. You could seen Mr. Almond. He paid me a visit last Satday and Sunday. Well you all must come real soon and write soon. By by from Ida.
Hello Susin, I am well, how are you? Well I hope. I got me a new dress to day. I want to try and get it maid time Ralph Hardy get hear. Please escuse these post cards, I will do better next time. Well you must come soon and write soon. So by by. From I to Sue.
Hello Mit, I am well and I hope this will find you all the same. I am sorry to know that Grief and his folks has been sick. I hope they are well by this time. I am glad to know that Mrs. Powell is well again. I have no news worth telling. I have one hen sitting. You all must come soon. Kiss the childern for me and bring them to see me soon. Come and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Susin. By the way, how are you? I am getting on nice and right. You said that you had plenty of sallet to cook. I wonder if sallet is all you got. You never said eny thing a bout having nothing els. I wanted to come down there but if sallet is all you got, I dont want to come. Well I will ring off, come real soon write soon. From Ida to Susin. By by.
Hello Willie, how are you? I am scared, I bet I get the measels. I was with a girl last Sunday and she broke out with the measels Monday night. Mamma said tell you to come Sunday. Well I cant write no more now, you must all come soon. From M I Pruett
Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. I have no news to write. Well Mit tell Willie are [or] John if they will come up here Sunday after next maybe it will be so that I can go with them home and stay a week. You all must come soon and write soon. Please excuse this card, ha ha. From Ida.
Hello Mit, by the way, how are you? I am in a little hurry this morning. I quilted my quilt yestday andI want to get your all quilted to day. Well I have no news to write. Joe said that it would not be so that he could come after Lillie, so some of you can bring her Sunday. Well you must come and write soon. By by, from M I to Mit.
Hello Sue, I hope you are well. Sue you ought to come to day. Miss Nannie spent the day with us, ha ha. Well Sue I have plenty to eat now if you will step up hear some bright night I guess you can get you a bag full of peas and corn, but dont make no norse [noise] to wake me up, ha ha.
Hello Sue, I am well, how are you? I hope willie’s back has got well. Mamma said tell you hello and tell you to come and see her. Mamma is not well, but she keeps up. Yes I planted snaps Good Friday. Well I have sent for the Companion [magazine] for 12 months. I told them to be sure to send the March number, I have not got it yet. I guess that it will come this week. You can get it. I wanted to be sure that I got that old mans ind, ha ha. You all must come and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Susin, how are you getting on? I am well. I hope your year has got well by this time. I went to the meating at the old mountain yestday. I had a vary good old time up there. I saw more people up there than I ever saw before. Tell Willie that Sallie was the best looking one that was on the grounds. Well you must come soon and write soon. By by, from I to Susin.
Hello Mittie, how are you? Well I hope. How is Ninie getting on good I hope. Are you most ready for xmas? I am. We have got a new stove, all I like is somethen to cook on it, so I will ring off by asking you and Dady Jack to come soon and bring toad frog to see me. Write soon, from I to M, by by.
Hello Sue, I hope that you are well. I have now news to write. Is your flowers blooming now? If thay are will you please send me a little bunch by the first one that comes? Just one little bunch is as many as I want. My few little flowers is aliving yet, but thay are not blooming. Well you all must come soon and write soon. You must come xmas. From Ida.
Hello Mit, how are you by this time? Hope you are well. I have been almost dead with a bad cold, but it better now. I have no news to write. You all must come real soon and write soon. From Ida to Mit.
Hello Mittie, how are you getting on this cold wather? I am well an getting rich fast. I have sold one dozen ducks eggs for 15 cents. How is cousin Nannie getting on? Kiss baby child for me. Tell Sue I will anser her card soon. So you all must come soon and write soon from I to M. By by.
Hello Willie, how are you getting on? Well I hope. I am well. I wish Mamma was well so I could come and stay a week, but I dont recken that I will get to come at all now. Come soon rite soon. From M I to W T. Be good, by by.
Hello Mit, I hope you are well. That feller has not ben up hear yet. I heard when I was dwn thare that he said he was coming sure as the world. I am not agoing to do like I told you. He can come, eny body can talk to him that want to while I am strate with common folks I will stay strate. I hope that he will never happen to the good luck to see my face again. I think this old world is larg anouf for me to keep out of site. If it ant and he ever sees me, seeing me will be all. I dont care what other people does. Well you must come soon write soon. From Ida.
Hello Willie, how are you by this time? Well and gaily I hope. I am well, you must come real soon and bring Susin. Write soon. From M I P to W T. By by. [Postmarked 30 Apr. 1909 in Dry Fork Virginia]. In the care of J. D. Mitchell
Hello Sue, I hope you are well. I am tobble [tolerable]. How many hens have you got setting? We have one. A mad dog come hear last week and killed 4 hens for Mamma and my two old ducks. Well Sue I may get the measels yet. If I do, you must come and see me. Alice and her childrens are all well. Well I will stop for this time. You must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. By by.
Hello Susin, how are you? I hope you are well. I am toble. I wanted to come with Willie home the other Sunday, but I had to come brother way, you no? Dont you think that is right? Well you must come and right soon. From I to Susin. By by.
Hello Sue, how are you by this time? Well I hope. I am well. Lillie got home the other night. Lillie said that Joe told you all that Mamma was sick. Thare was not a word of that. Mamma has not been sick, we tried to get him not to come, but he would go. I have not heard from Alice since Thursday. She was well at that time. Well you all must come soon and write soon. From Ida. Excuse this pretty card.
Visit part 3 of the collection to continue reading Ida’s letters.