The location is Delaware County, New York. This letter was written by Beatrice Rose Camp, when she was 12-years old, to her sister Florence Rose Lawler. 'Olive' Letha Rose Schnack is their sister. Their 'Papa' is Elbert Rose. Their maternal 'Grandma' was Alice Estelle Clayton More. 'Aunt Lin' is Elbert's sister, Malinda Rose Townsend. 'Helen' and 'Bertha' are Malinda's daughters. At the time of this writing, I don't know who 'Uncle Billy' is. Elbert has a brother William but is referred to as Uncle Will by the girls in other letters. Please add a comment if you can shed some light on an identification.
Fleischmanns, NY
Oct. 22, 1918
Dear Florence,
I received your letter this forenoon as I sent you one yesterday in Grandma's letter. If you remember in the starting of your letter, you said you were wondering what I was doing. It was half past five when we got our dishes done and as we didn't have anything to do but listen to Papa and the boy that is here talk also, we wrote to Grandma. I did and Olive put in a letter to you. You remember that at home we had some games; but, here we haven't anything to do but sit around wishing for some games to play. After we get our work done, there is always about 3 hours before bedtime, and in the daytime it has been so cold and stormy that we couldn't
play outdoors until today. It is considerably warm. Olive is outdoors playing ball, being as that is all we can play. Mrs. Clansey (that is the name of the woman who lives here) gave us (8) eight marbles.
I like to stay here better every day. I didn't like it very good first long when I was so homesick, though.
Didn't Grandma tell you that school was closed and we don't know when it will open?
Well Florence, I can't tell you just yet where to write to Papa because he hasn't gone anywhere yet. He is staying just at present at Uncle Billy's. I don't know when he will go to Kingston because he is kind of afraid of the influenza. And, he doesn't want to take us to Kingston either.
We heard that Oneonta was full of it.
Is that so?
You telling me to take care of myself made me laugh because we have not been off of the yard since school closed. And every time we go out, someone hollers, "Put on your sweater and cap now, girls". It is always Helen or Aunt Lin and I thank them for it, too. So, if we get it you can't say that we have caught it from anyone, can you? And almost every night we burn a good lot of sulpher.
I will tell Papa all you have asked me to.
I am very sorry I can't give you Papa's address.
Will close.
Your sister,
Beatrice
P.S.
Yes, I would like to come up there and live with you.
Aunt Lin and Helen expect to go to Richfield to see Bertha in about 9 months.
