Elyria, Ohio.
November. 9th 1881.My Dear Alice,
I am quite behind hand with my letters, but I know your loving heart makes all the excuses for me. You see I am house keeping & doing my own work, so I am just as busy as I well can be. Perhaps never in my life was my time so thoroughly occupied as now. Shall I tell you how the days go. Well I get up at half past five, and while I am dressing Mr. D- builds the fires brings the coal & water. Then I get breakfast & we usually are ready to sit down by a quarter to seven. After prayers, my husband [will] go off to the office & I wash the dishes & clean up. By nine oclock I'm ready to make my bed, & dust the house, & by that time it is time to get dinner, especially if I have a pie or pudding to make.
By three oclock I am ready to dress & then until five, I do various things. In the evening, I find most occassion [sic] to be lonely, for Mr Dixson spends every other evening, until nine, at the store, so I use that time for letters, sewing & other things.
Sometimes I take my knitting or any of my fancy work, & go down to the store with him & work, while he tends to the books, & makes up the trial balance.
Our little home is a white frame with green blinds, & a very small house indeed, it seems to me. There are six rooms, but they are all so small, about the size of 63, & 62.
My bed room is down stairs & opens right into the dinning [sic] room, which is very convenient about doing my own work. What about the class letter? Why - don't it come. Sometimes I fancy it is not & for some reason I am overlooked. Have you received yours. Be sure & tell me for I want very much to know just how it is. I will send you Mr. Dixson's cabinet. Just as soon as I get time to see to it.
Why do you only keep your position until Christmas? & What will you do then. I am so glad you have such a nice place & hope you will not find it too hard after you leave. Elizabeth [?], can't you come, & make me a little visit? This is such a little place. You come just as you are without any special preparation for it, as no one dresses - much love, I am longing so to see you.
I hardly think I shall see my friends this fall, in the east for my husband is so busy he can't get off, & I should not care to go alone.
I hope when it comes time to write again, I shall have a girl & then I will write more, as it is I am in a great hurry, & must begin to think what my husband needs for his dinner.
loving,
Zella."Mrs. J. E. Dixson. Elyria O."