grippe also grip (grĭp)[French, from Old French, claw, quarrel, from gripper, to seize, grasp, from Frankish *grīpan.] An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease.
Synonyms: influenza
Time marches on, and the younger Gambles, grown up now, have little ones that are coming along.
I give you three letters from the Gamble collection in this post, as they are short in the main, so why not. Their letters are little windows into the everyday life of our forebearers over a century ago...
St. Vincent, Minn.
August 1894
Dear Maggie
I received your welcome letter and was glad to hear you were well. Harvest will soon be over here, they say it is very early this year, we will soon have done cutting. Sammie was big enough to run a binder this year. We will not know how the grain will turn out until we thresh.
We have not used any new potatoes yet so I do not know whether they are good or not.
The fruit has been very scarce around here but there will be any amount of cranberries & plums. I will be glad when winter comes again there is not so much work then.
There is a new Presbyterian Church starting in St. Vincent. I like it much better than the English. Lizzie's baby is getting along well, she is beginning to try to talk. I can hardly wait untill she can talk, and walk.
I think Ellen is going to teach the same school she had before. We have finished cutting all our grain but some oats.
Since beginning this letter I have dug some potatoes and they are quite good. I think I will have to close for this time.
I remain with love to all yours friendly, Alice Gamble
St. Vincent, Minn.
December 2, 1894
Dear Maggie
I received your letter a long while ago but I kept putting it of answering it, and I was sick with tooth ache all last week so I could not write then. It has been very cold already going as far as 25 below zero but it is warmer today. I will send you the prize list so you can see how many prizes we took.
The two babies are getting along fine Lizzie's can stand alone now. I think they are going to morrow to have her picture taken. She can say quite a lot of words too. Sammie has started to school now he is quite a good scholar. Ellen has finished her term but she is going back the 1st of January. We are going to have a Christmas tree for the Presbyterian Sunday School. I have a piece to recite and I have to be dressed up like an old woman. Sammie is going to play a piece on the violin, at least I think he is.
I think I will have to stop writing for I cannot think of any thing more to say so hoping this will find you well, I remain as ever yours,
Sincerely Alice Gamble
Write Soon X X X X
St. Vincent, Minn.
April 21, 1895
Dear Maggie
I received your letter some time ago but I am so busy that I never had time until to day. I am trying to houseclean a little, but I have so much other work to do that I do not get on very fast. I have four cows to milk all myself, and I have to do most of my own sewing, so you see I am kept busy nearly all the time. Ma has not been very well lately, she has a very bad cold. The Grippe is going around again we hear. Aleck has a little boy nearly a month old. They are going to call him William Harold. Baby Maggie can talk quite plain now of course she can only say some words yet. The seeding is all over here now. We have been very short of water all spring but lately there has been a lot of rain. I was to church this morning, Sammie has gone to Lizzie's. I am so glad spring has come. I do not like the winter very well. I always think in the winter I will have lots of time for fancy work but when winter comes we are busier than ever. I cannot cook very well yet so that makes it so much harder for me.
I think I will have to stop writing this time so good by
Yours as Ever
Alice Gamble
I will send you some dress pieces next tme. Write soon. I have a suspicion that Ellen is going to get married pretty soon, but never mention anything about it in any of your letters.
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