Letter from [Annie L. Muir] to [Margaret Muir Reid et al.], 1901 Apr 27.

[1]Portage, Wis. Apr. 27 1901Dear Maggie, Sarah, & the Rest -I enclose Maude Watson\u27s letter, which explains itself. I returned from Poynette yesterday afternoon - It seems that Mrs. Robertson had the grip in the winter & had not been quite so strong since that time - But she kept up her work in her persevering way - Had even done some housecleaning the week before her illness began and bought a new bonnet The first, she said, since Mary\u27s death. She went to church on Sunday the 14th - On Monday did not feel as well as usual. Was worse on Tuesday and they called Dr. [Binney?] who called it pneumonia & called the case a serious one - The family were not th[en?] alarmed - But Maude sent for her sister - Mrs. Bushnel - who came at once & took care of her house & family so that Maude could stay with Mrs. R. day & night - Mary Blackley & the neighbors helped too - Hamilton who has been in Madison all winter in a printing office happened to be at home for a few weeks - so was there too06198 [2]On Saturday she seemed better - and they were quite hopeful - But at 11 o\u27clock in Saturday night she was taken very much worse - and she could not speak to them again tho. she tried painfully hard to do so. Maud\u27s letter tells the rest - She was laid to rest beside John Watson & the family in the Arlington Cemetery On Tuesday the 23rd On a beautiful Spring Day - +++ She left no Will. But Hamilton & Jim seem likely to settle everything about the property & disposal of things in a peacible and satisfactory manner. The house which she occupied is to be rented - James had rented the farm & he will live there & board with the family who lives in the house & helps him to work it. H. has let his farm and hardly knows what he will do - Go back to Madison probably - His family lives in the House on his farm - & are very comfortable indeed - She & the children seem well & happy. The baby is now nearly seven months old & a great pet inthe family - I, & two of the little boys went across the field to the woods and gathered lots of the beautiful Anemone - I enclose [two?] hoping that they may keep their color untill they reach you. -(3.)Dr. West & little family are still with me - In some way the house which they thought they were sure of - Slipped from them & before they knew it was rented by some one else - who had looked at before they did or something of that sort - They have not found anything else which suited them - and now that Baby is well & thriving & the family is much smaller - She had two women here until she was about seven weeks old - A girl in the Kitchen & a woman to help her & the Baby. Poor little thing she had a hard time, the first five weeks - as they could find no food which would agree with her - & she nearly starved - She hardly weighs eleven pounds now & will be ten weeks old tomorrow. But she is well - & so sweet & good. They have put in a little garden and will stay with me for the present. I have my board for the rooms they have - And while I pay them nothing They have no rent to pay - And that is worth something to them while they are getting started here - For Osteopathy is not as well known here now as it will be in a few years - or perhaps months. He has a number of patients but not as many as he wants - By a good deal - He very kindly gives me two or three treat-06198 [4][treat-]ments a week. free of charge - I began regular treatments of the tenth of this month - I think it is helping me - I hesitated about taking them when I could not afford to pay him - but her very kindly said he did not want any pay - That I had already paid him - & was paying him all the time - But he did not explain how I did it - He is a very conscientious, Christian young man, I have great confict[ense?] in him, & hope he may do well here - Poor little Arthur Owen! I only heard yesterday about his accident - And how courageous he was about it all - He must be a Dear little fellow - Well Maggie I think of you very often & am glad that you can have Sarah with you so much of the time, when you are not [illegible] well - The Lord bless you both now & always I pray - My Love to you both - Each - and All - Mother\u27s Geraneum is full of large fine blossoms -Love And Goodbye -Will send you Poynette papers, soon