Kenyon College Gambier
Knox Co. Ohio
United States
America
May 4th 1874

My much loved Miss Lascelles,

Maria forwarded yours of the 26th of March to me soon after our arrival home after our trip to 'The far west'. I should have answered it sooner, but one thing of vital importance (to me) delayed me - the loss of my servant and as there is no remedy for misfortune like this in a small place like Gambier, we have just to "tackle" to the household work ourselves till we "hunt up help" and deem ourselves fortunate if we get our washing and ironing done out of the house and are no longer than a week in the state described.

Now I must tell you about our journey. We left home 16th of March by the train at the rear of our College about half past two p.m. taking roast chicken, bread and butter for our bodily sustenance on the route. We met an acquaintance, a lady who was going to Omaha so we took her under our care as she was returning home from accompanying the remains of her mother to her last resting place. About six in the evening we started we reached Columbus, the capital of the state (Ohio) and got into one of the celebrated "Pullman sleeping cars" and took "a section" which is precisely like berths in a Steampacker. We three, our lady friend and John and I ate our supper! got off some of our wraps and sat chatting till the conductor asked us should we like to go to bed early? We then made our beds letting down the upper berth, putting clean sheets, and pillow cases on, a soft hair matters and a Mexican blanket, heavy crimson blankets with black borders in stripes, heavy red? curtains on brass rods and strong buttons and loops are furnished to these curtains to keep you in seclusion. Our lady friend slept over us as John could not mount so high from rheumatism. I assisted her up with a step ladder for the purpose. The conductor takes charge of all your things and hangs …. on pegs in the cars. At each end of the care there are water closets - one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen - supplied with hot and cold water r…ing from faucets into a marble basin. The cars were heated by hot air so that when we got up at our usual time (seven o'clock) we all three were dreadfully sea sick or just like that. About nine o'clock in the morning we reached Johnnies in a hack, they were at breakfast and Josie and he soon ran out to met us. You may be sure I ran up the front steps pretty nimbly to see the darling baby and to hold him to my heart. He was in his grandmothers (Mrs Fewprer?) arms, just in his night gear. He gave me the most contented smile, and began to move his feet and hands. He is a large baby with dark skin like his father and dark hair. His mother says "he has his fathers beautiful eyes". Johnnie no sooner got to his office, which is about half an hours drive in the street cars, when he told Willie and he said Emilie would be over. In the after next morning we started again for James John's eldest sons home. He is an Episcopal clergyman, Clinton is the name of the place. We travelled all through the Plains, from 9 till 15 minutes to three in the afternoon. There was nothing but withered course grass, great immensities? of water, some scrubby trees. We counted thirty five villages and towns on our route to Clinton and crossed the Mississippi on a bridge two miles long constructed from the banks to some islands in the stream. It is remarkable for the lumber trade carried on there, we visited one of the saw mills. These run along the banks for two miles. I saw "a raft" they are huge! covering many acres like villages, families reside on them in tents. They are constructed in the fine woods during the winter, when the river is frozen over, and are ready for floating when the river is ready for navigation in the early spring. at night these rafts are anchored to the banks, and a law forbids them from stirring at night. They are very dangerous and disastrous to river packets should they accidentally come in contact. We were surprise to see the fine residences in Clinton with ornamental pleasure grounds and " roofs" and "croquet grounds" too. Clinton is the terminus f all the eastern railroads going to California. James Trimble has a nice family of four children and a particularly nice wife. Their younger baby is of the age of Johnnies, the most beautiful child I ever laid eyes on. Fair as a baby with blue eyes and alight hair, so good too. She is the delight of the household, especially her father, he never tires of her. James' congregation were very attentive to us. He has been there 5 years. when Clinton was a very small place 12 years ago he was minister of it, and was obliged to leave it on account of the severity of the climate. Bishop Lee said he would never be contented till he got him to his Diocese, and he succeeded in capturing him. We staid with James and Carrie from Thursday until the following Tuesday, left Clinton in a snow storm which had ceased before we got back to Chicago at three in the afternoon of the same day we left. The baby was baptised in the Protestant Episcopal church, John and I being his spouses with his mother and father at 4 o'clock Easter Sunday afternoon. The church was not far from their house, but there was such a heavy fall of snow we could not go anywhere but in a closed carriage besides the baby had never been out. Josie (his mother) and I spent a great time dressing him. He looked lovely and stoled? in his nice white clothes. Johnnie carried him out and I took charge of him in the carriage and all the time and through the solemn service my dear husband relieving me, he was so heavy, he was so good too, never cried and when the clergyman put the water on his head he caught him by the whiskers. his name is Philip Fewper? Rogan. I was very happy. Johnnie is wrapt up in the little fellow. Know (sic) person can get him to sleep of an evening but his father. He then lays our treasure in his crib. Willie and Emilie look better and younger than I can ever remember them, she is fine looking. They board since Emilie's serious illness. A great many old Kenyon students visited us and vied with each other in showing us attention. In travelling John is always taken for some distinguished person, of course it is and amusement to us. His head and complexion is remarkably like our late bishop Mr Th…. Chicago is a beautiful city, the new business blocks very fine and the drives in Michigan and Wabash .. delightful. I liked the shore drive. It put me in mind of home. The lake was breaking against the shore. The lake is three hundred miles long. The city is supplied with water from the lake, tunnelled three miles under the lake. There are many disastrous shipwrecks on it and storms. The lake is frozen over in winter and Chicago extremely cold. This is a long selfish letter my dear Miss Lascelles but I am vain enough to think it will give you pleasure and beguile an hour or so at time reading it. I had no letter from Nannie for more than a week. The spring is late. We are wearing all out winter clothes yet. I trust this will find you well and that I shall soon hear again. I have not read "snow beautiful snow" should like to very much. The temperance crusade has had its day. The evening we entered Mount Kenson? in this state and though it was snowing so heavily that you could not discern an object we saw the women sitting on the pavements opposite the saloons under umbrellas. They had small wooden tents erected in which they kept watch until twelve o'clock at night and then the tents were locked up until next morning in the express office. You are very lonely my dear Miss Lascelles. You have known the Saviour all the days of your life. May He be increasingly generous to you. May we meet above. I often think of all your kindness to me and to us all. I trust some of the dear Parkinson's will stay with you. Have you a good domestic? Please to give my love to all Mrs Parkinson's loved circle and herself too. I frequently hear form the two families I resides with in Ireland. Their letters are delightful. Mrs Russell the first lady, her husband became deranged, never had a lucid interval, and gradually became weaker, died and she had to struggle with a family of eight on very limited means, brought up and educated 5 daughters and three sons. They are all well married now but the two youngest who are still governesses in England. They are scattered in different parts of the world. The wealthiest one lives in Hong Kong. Her husband has and income of £5000 per annum. Mrs Russell's life is a romance. I must again apologise for this very long letter. John is writing beside me. It is a holiday! He desires to be most particularly mentioned to you. Give my warmest remembrances to Joe Surch. accept my affectionate love my dear Miss Lascelles ad believe me your attached friend,

Kate Trimble.