In your reserve, pride and super sensitiveness, you reflect my own nature

To Bertha from Cora Hendricks (Mother) – September 28, 1908

[Note: Bertha is 18 years old. She is has recently begun her studies at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Until recently, she had lived in Fort Niobrara in northwest Nebraska.]

Fort Magara, New York

My dear little girl,

It is possible that I lectured you in two letters? Indeed I did not mean to do that. Perhaps I was too severe, dearie, but if so you must blame me only, for Reba [Note: Her sister] had not written one word to call down any censure on you. What you write in the letter I have just received, is the first I have heard of any lack of interest since you got there. I don’t want to be severe with you, Bertha, and I don’t at all believe that at heart you unappreciative of your opportunities. But sometimes your manner would lead one to think so. I also understand perfectly how much you dreaded going away from home and to a strange place again. I know it was much harder for you there for Reba, and I, believe I can appreciate your feelings and difficulties better than almost anyone else can for in your reserve, pride and super sensitiveness, you reflect my own nature so much that is like looking in a mirror. Those qualities are a handicap to you in some ways, a protection in others. I know they have been both to me, but it makes going among strangers rather hard.

Cora Hendricks
Cora Hendricks

I am sorry you were sick when you got there. Are you quite well now? Don’t be unjust to yourself, dear, even if you to feel that I have been unjust to you. We are all selfish, you are not more so than other people, quite the contrary, I think, and you are certainly not a fool, but an uncommonly bright girl. You think Reba is bright, so she is, and can no doubt excel you in some things, moreover, she has three years the advantage of you, but not only your father and myself, but many other recognize you as being the real superior. Your marks at school have always shown you to be well up and I have noticed that whenever you really set yourself to do anything, it is well and thoroughly done.

Now, girlie, don’t think everybody is slamming at you. Reba felt nearly as badly as you did because I scolded you, and I did not want to hurt you only to show you how you sometimes made yourself appear.

I do want you to be interested in your work not merely as a duty, but because it really does interest you, and I hope you will have a pleasant time too and not all grind. I want you to enjoy your college life and be able to look back to it with pleasure when it is over. As I said before, I do not intend to ask you to for another year, but I hope that you will want to do so.

I sent you a check a few days ago, not forty but thirty dollars as I was sure you had included what had already been paid. I hope you have gotten the notebooks but you have not gotten the pictures for they are not yet mailed although I wrapped some of them up a week ago. I will hunt up Reba’s book and mail them all this afternoon if I can. It is raining now for the first time in weeks and I may not get to the post office.

Clara is likely to be away another week and I find I am quite busy, and really have not felt very well lately. I think it has been more the weather than anything else. I will be alright again very soon, I dare say. Now, cheer up, girlie, and don’t think I was so very unjust to you.

Your loving mother,

Cora Ballou

There has been a dreadful emptiness about the house without you

To Bertha from Cora Hendricks – April 18, 1917

1323 30th Street
Washington

Dear Bertha,

Your letter came yesterday morning and we were all glad to know that you were alright and had a fair trip down. I hope you are rested some by this time and that you are spending a lot of time out of doors.

I do not suppose you will have time to get much acquainted with the people but I do hope you will have a pleasant time and will not be fretting because you are not at home working.

It has been lovely here all the week so far, and I have spent a good deal of time out of the house so have not done as much sewing as I really ought. Today Reba and I went to see David Warfield in “The Music Master.” It was fine!

music_master
David Warfield in “The Music Master”

Also it is something I have wanted to see for years. Col. and Mrs. Newcomer were here last night. Sally really went swimming, at last, yesterday, and thought she had the time of her life. There has been a dreadful emptiness about the house without you, I am spoiled mother and feel lost without you. Give my best to the Vestal’s and tell Mrs. D that I will write to her before long.

We will be looking for you Sunday.

Your loving mother,

Cora Ballou

An order was sent to Portland for his arrest

To Bertha from Cora Hendricks –

(Date is approximate)

Miss Bertha Ballou
Elks, Nevada

You certainly could not do the things you do now. I simply cannot imagine you walking and climbing in such snow or going through all that mud and water and not being quite used up.

I can understand you’re enjoying such a trip if you can stand it. I think it was very nice to have a birthday party and rather odd that there were two of you to ______ together.

I thought you ought to be glad to see a pair of gloves. I have one pair of white gloves which I acquired so long ago. I have forgotten when or where, which are doing splendid service. I send them out with the laundry when they get dirty and they come back looking like new. I just got them home today. What a mess Elks must have been after the thaw! I wonder if such things happen after there. One would prefer more gradual thawing.

The Chaplain is to go to the school at Camp Grant in April. We will miss them very much.

Nothing has been heard of Major Brown since he left, and we do not know whether he has gone to his new station or deserted.

An order was sent to Portland for his arrest, but it was too late to catch him there. I rather hope he will not be heard from again.

A letter from Sally today, gave her mark in Algebra for the exam, 80, the quarter 100, and the course, 87. Geometry exam, 97, course, 97. History, 88. Pretty good! She did not knew her other marks as yet.

I shall be most glad to her that Senn has done as well. He should have finished exams on Thursday. Papa has finished a most remarkable workbench which he has been making and has it in the attic. He is now planning various things to be attached to it. Well, he enjoys the work and gets his exercise in a way which is interesting instead of tedious, so it is a good thing whether he ever makes any use of his workbench.

We have both been enjoying some of our own books which we had not read in a long time or not at all, for the last week or two, I believe, I shall, in time like Dickens, better than almost anybody.

The days are growing long very fast. We not go to dinner before it is quite dark, and can read until five, without needing lights. That will not be true today, for it is very dark and cloudy, and is quite dim now.

I had a letter from Aunt _____ yesterday, she has been ill ever since September, but is gaining. She is staying with a cousin. I do not think she has been confined to her bed much, perhaps not at all.

Well, I wonder what sort of a condition this will find Elks in. Probably cold again!

With lots of love,

Mamma

I have been very much interested in your letters to Papa

To Bertha from Cora Hendricks – September 24, 1920

[Note: Bertha has left art school to work as a teacher in Elks, Nevada]

Miss Bertha Ballou

Elks, Nevada

Fort Logan, Colorado


Dear Bertha,

I am missing you very much in my efforts to get this place in order.

I have been very much interested in your letters to Papa, and am so very glad that the place is not altogether lacking in attraction. Are you getting accustomed to your school work? I really do feel sorry for you, if you have to keep such a lot of bags in order every afternoon. Don’t they all have anything to do? Or is it supposed to be a study hour?

I am beginning to find myself to some extent. Have the parlor really quite settled, although I dare say we will do a lot of rearranging from time to time. Just now the only thing I do not like in it is the big Philippine table which Papa had installed in the center of the room and is unwilling to change. It is not bad, only too big.

The weather has been perfectly fine, only very windy yesterday and today. Hess is very good, wants to work more than I want him to, really. The Stories left this morning for Omaha, and the Herrens are looking.

I spent a great part of yesterday unpacking some clothing and pressing some few thing. Of course, everything needs pressing, and I will have to take another turn very soon. I do not think there is any news to tell you, Papa will have written you of conditions in town. I am so glad he was able to come back to the post for most of the time. This is Aunt Bertha’s birthday and I must write a little to her. I have not written at all since I left there.

Don’t fret about not earning your pay. I’ll guarantee you are doing it better than four fifths of the wage earners.

With love,

Mother

I shall be interested to know if your troublesome boy continues to be good

To Bertha from Cora Hendricks –

Fort Logan, Colorado

September 29, 1920

Dear girlie,

I had a nice long letter for you Monday and Papa had one today, so that is two since I wrote you. I have enjoyed these so much, but I have felt quite anxious about you not having any warmer clothing when it turned so suddenly cold. We send you trunk by express and I trust you will very soon have it. Your raincoat and wool stockings you should have now, I think. I hope you get that stove very soon. I know how you feel the cold and it is enough in itself to make you blue.

Would you like to have your sleeping bag? I wish you were here, it is the most perfect weather and I do miss you very much.

I have a great time trying to get the house fixed up. I work every day a little longer than I intend to and accomplish a great deal less than I intend to. However, it is coming, and, I do enjoy it, for it is such a pleasure to Papa to see the place grow homelike.

Poor fellow! He has lived in an empty house so long and he likes all our pretty things as much as any of us do. I don’t know but even more. Today I worked on the hall a little while and really did make quite a change and he came in and seemed so pleased with the result that I wanted to do a lot more right away.

Did you get the reading lamp Papa said he sent you? He has just now been putting the gooseneck lamp together. I am going to send you other stockings as soon as I can, but I am not going very fast with them. I got four balls of yarn which looked as big s the other balls and I doubt if it going to be enough. I may have to make the toes of something else.

I suppose you have heard from Sally, for she said she was going to write to you as soon as she could, and certainly by Sunday. I am glad she is so pleased with her roommate and hope they continue to get on well together.

I am going to be very much interested in seeing the pictures you have taken. Also, I shall be interested to know if your troublesome boy continues to be good and what kind of people his family _____ to be. I am glad you have found someone to wash for you, it is too much for you to have to wash everything for yourself in addition to all your other work. You will have quite enough of it, if you only do what you cannot trust to someone else. I meant to have done a little pressing this afternoon, but decided to wait until another day, when I saw what time it was after I had gotten cleaned up. You would certainly laugh if you could see the stuff I have spread about in the unused rooms here. I have just spread everything as I came to it so that we could sort and see where to put things. Just now curtains I am most concerned with, how to make what I have work to the best advantage. I believe there are enough, such as they are.

Mrs. Caples’ mother leaves this evening. I think _____ _____ goes in a few days, but Mrs. H and the children are to wait here until their belongings reach the new station.

We are having a concert now. I do most thoroughly approve of this band. They play all the kind of music I like. I have a picture of Sally here for you and will mail it soon. By the way, I sent you the Army and Navy Journal, if you think of it when you are through reading it, send it to either Lenn or Sally.

Your loving mother.

Lenn’s address is 306 East Madison Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan.