[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading. The letter has no year date, but is from 1881, as the stamp on the envelope was issued in 1881, and the letter mentions her expecting to hear from her brother & sister, Robert & Lillie, from Japan - they went as missionaries to China in November, 1881.]Cleveland Ohio Nov. 28th
Dear Mother:
Although I wrote last I know you will want to hear from me and I would have written sooner if I had been able. It will be two weeks to-morrow since I came, and I have had a pretty hard time of it. This is the first day I have felt able to do anything. I hope I am over the worst now.
For several days at first I was fearfully sick, threw up &c. generally - then got so weak I could scarcely get down & up stairs. I have not tasted bread live exclusively on beef chopped fine made into cakes and broiled.
I could not eat much till the past two days. Now I hope to grow stronger I have ordered a meat chopper sent to Wooster, so I mean business you see. The Doctor says I'll be as well as ever I was - he is treating me for the other trouble too. I expect to go home on Friday next - would stay another week but the Doctor goes to New York[.] I am very hopeful that I may be benefitted. Surely the Lord led me here, and so I can trust good will come of it.
Mrs Dr. Black sent me her girl a few days about before I left home - they are boarding whilst their new house is being completed. She is an elderly girl so like Ellen Mateer and they are getting along nicely in my absence. Mary manages surprisingly well - we have our boarders still will keep them till the xmas vacation. My expenses here are very heavy, but most of the means were Providentially provided, or I could not have felt I could come.
I am so anxious to hear how you are getting along and do hope you have Aunt Mary or some one with you. Surely you should not be alone. Mr Fenn wrote of Mrs Gilchrists death. I was glad to hear of her release from pain. How she must have suffered[.] Now I suppose Mr Fenn will have full sheep. [?] Poor Mrs Fenn will sadly miss her mother. Dr Child's second daughter Fanny is lying in New York very ill of typhoid fever[.] The family are all there. I do feel so sorry for them.
Later - I am just home from the Doctors and have drunk my hot water[.] I met Mr. Isaac Hays - he has come by my advise, to consult Dr. Salisbury and has decided to go on the diet. His lungs are a good [d]eal diseased but the Doctor says he can cure him if he will persevere. I am quite sure he can too. He is coming to see me this afternoon, that is Mr Hays is.
I had letters from Calvin and Julia [her brother Calvin was a missionary in China][.] They are hard at work as ever. They were all going off on tours leaving Julia and Mrs Capp - Maggie is poorly. They were longing for the new recruits. They are likely all there by this time, at least the first cargo. It will not be long till we hear from Rob & Lillie at Japan [her brother Robert & sister Lillie went to China as missionaries in 1881].
Have you decided to give up your house by Spring? I think you had better. Suppose then you come and stay awhile with me and get acquainted with our Wooster people and see if you would not like to live in Wooster. I think you would I know the ladies would try to make it pleasant for you. If you could be happy we might get a house in partnership so you could keep house in a quiet little way and be with me. I feel that you should be with me. Write what your ideas are and then I can write more fully[.]
At present I know nothing better than to keep the house I am in and yet I do hate to do it. If I could rent it for 6 months, but the man wont rent for less than a year. There will likely be some new houses built next Summer for rent, that we could get by Fall. I will see more about it when I go home. What has become of Maggie Ralston? I wrote her a long letter soon after I came from Mechanicsburg and have never a word[.]
Night - I had quite a little visit from Mr. Hays. He is quite in the notion of this work this beef diet I mean. We have very pleasant ladies where I am boarding - all quite interesting - one with consumption of the lungs - one consumption of the bowels and one a tumor - all improving very decidedly.
Dr Mitchells daughter is to be married in his church to morrow night. I hope to go. You remember she was a friend of Jai's wife and expects to go as a missionary to Mexico. I am feeling a little stronger now and think I will try to go. How are Mr Reigerts getting on? How are cousin Ellen's eyes. I believe Dr Salisbury could help her. I had a letter from Janet to-day. They are well and happy at home. - don't seem to miss me much. That does for a while.
Now I am too tired to write now I ate too much supper and don't feel good. How I wish you were here. Give [...] to Dr Young and Mrs Dunlap especially, and tell Maggie I have some notion of calling her acquaintance. When I get the steam up a little more on this beef business I'll write to Ellen.
Tell Auntie she can think of me sitting down three times a day to a cup of tea without cream or sugar, a pepper box and salt stand, a little plat of butter and two cakes of chopped beef - no more on penalty of sinning against my stomach.
We eat in our rooms. I have a little square stand about 18 by 20 inches.
It seems like penitentiary doings, but we manage to get lots of fun out of it after a while. We trot to the Doctor's office for treatment every morning - have a little social reunion there. Write soon if you have not written. I am longing to hear from you.
Affectionately your daughter -
Jennie