Letter to Sallie -Dec 1885

San Antonio, Dec 15 1885

My Dear Sister

I hardly know how to commence this letter. of course I cannot blame you for not writing for I have been equally neglectful although I certainly expected a letter from you long ago. at any rate I felt bound to drop you a few lines as I should very much like to get a little news from yourself and learn how you was getting along.

I wrote last Sunday to both Father & William but I must __ you what I said to them that it is a powerful long time since I got a letter from any of you. My dear Sallie I have but very little news to tell you even now I do write only that myself, Maggie & the boys & girls are in the best of health and I sincerely hope these few lines find you and the children the same.

I am happy to tell you that I am in steady employment such as it is - little pay to be seen - but enough to struggle along on. Times has been very bad here & according to all accounts you have not had very prosperous times in England.

I wrote Bill a pretty long letter if not as interesting only my next letter to you shall be a longer one than this. I merely intend this as a 'feelin' to remind you that I am still in the land of the living.

Let me know exactly how you are fixed when you write for I trust you credit me with feeling the deepest kind of interest in your welfare. Of course I wish you a merry Christmas and the best kind of a New Year, we don't expect to have any very great time ourselves but then my little crowd are easily satisfied & we now have enough to eat.

Now my dear Sallie in conducting this brief epistle let me beg you not to forget to write at your earliest convenience for I very much want to hear from you and I faithfully promise you a good long letter in return and if there is any one thing more than an other you would like me to write about say so in your letter. Maggie sends her love to you and Georgie, Willie, Sallie & Katie send love and kisses to their Aunt Sallie.

from Your Affectionate Brother,
Tom,
with much love & a Christmas kiss I send a Christmas number of Frank Leslie hope you get the same.