August 18, 1906

Blogger Note:  So sorry for the delay!  Here is the next letter and Daisy is at a new address for this one.  In Philadelphia.  She explains a bit in the letter below. And we have even more clues about her family heritage as well as the fact that men are confusing (which has not changed 100 years later).  Happy reading!

Dear Mr. Henderson,

Another change of residence. I came here yesterday to keep house for Uncle and Auntie while they are away, take a short vacation. I expect to be here until August twenty fifth and then I shall be very happy when I go back to “dear old Lancaster.” I do not like the city in summer.

I was very much surprised but pleased to hear you changed your plans and went home. The word means so much and I know how much you enjoy being there. But I understand you are not taking any vacation. May I suggest again that you must take some time for rest and recreation. Once we are overworked,  it is so difficult to become rested. I see the terrible results of too much work and no rest so very often. Yes, every day. Do not become impatient or provoked with me for saying anything about resting. I know that you feel not a moment may be wasted but remember good health comes first. I think you did remarkably well this spring in clearing so much. How you must have worked!

When does school open? I begin work on the third of September in Lancaster. I worked hard all summer but found some time to rest and for fun so that I am ready to go to work when the time comes.

I have not been able to leave home for any length of time so I took small trips and did get lots of pleasure and real fun out of almost everything. I really enjoy being home best. I would like my friends to visit me rather than go myself. I have had lots of company all summer. I do enjoy playing tennis and the afternoon I went to Millersville. We played about twenty six games.

Mother is not much better. Father received a letter saying his father in Germany was dying so he packed a suitcase and started for New York Thursday morning and sailed Thursday afternoon. His one hope and aim in going is to see his father once more before his last hour on this earth comes.

I was surprised to hear that Mr. Porter has not broken friendship with the girl near his home, if it may be so called. I understand she is so inferior to him and that he did not care for her. If he does not, he has no right to play with her. Does Winnifred know he calls on her? He seems so much in earnest about it last summer that I thought he would never call on her (the other girl) again. But men are so hard to understand. I sometimes wonder are they all alike. Can any of them be trusted? Are men as a rule as sincere as women? I doubt it very often.

This month the Women’s Missionary Society met at our home. We had a very nice meeting. Las month we had a collection of over thirty dollars and only about forty members. The dues always amount to a great deal. I know you would enjoy being at some of the meetings. There is so much enthusiasm and real hard work in the Society. It always makes me more happy and cheerful to attend a meeting of that kind.

I should enjoy very much to see a picture of your home. I hope your mother and sisters are all well. Give them my love and best wishes. I have not heard from Mary. With best wishes.

Sincerely,

Daisy Holzwarth

P.S. I spent four days at Lebanon and had a good time. I laughed almost as much as I did last summer. I almost disgraced the people whom I was visiting. It rained all the time fortunately and the windows were closed that saved them and me.

July 13, 1906

Blogger Note: Hello!  And thank you for your patience.  As you can see, this next letter is dated in July which is quite a few weeks after her last letter in May.  I am not sure how long the vendor who I bought the letters from had them for sale, but I am sure that I was not the only one to pick up and buy a few letters so other letters may be scattered and in the hands of many other people out there.  There has also been so much interest out there in the research behind the letters, so I will be starting a section of research to bring all these wonderful bits of information into one place.   Thank you all again for reading and have a great week!

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I received the pictures Wednesday and was very much pleased with both. The picture of the school and its surroundings is an excellent picture. I showed it to some of my friends and they were very enthusiastic in their admiration. I thank you very much for the picture of yourself. I think it is a very good one. I shall take care to keep it nice. I have not had mine taken because it has been so very warm but shall do so as soon as I get an opportunity.

I cleaned the whole house this morning. It looks clean and comfortable again, but it will soon be dusty. I have an engagement this afternoon and I really would rather stay here in the library where it is so  cool and where I can see the pretty flowers. I was out after luncheon and gathered more roses and other flowers than I could carry in both hands. I put some on the porch and in the dining room but am going to give the greater share away.

I do not know Mr. Groff but am going to Millersville this afternoon and then I shall find out what I can for you about him. I shall write all the information I get in my next letter.

I have no unpleasant memories in connection with the school but have been disappointed in a person at Millersville and was disgusted for a while but it is all over. I mean my feeling as I did about going to Millersville. It is the first time I have found any of my friends insincere and I hope the last time. Not insincere to me but to others but that is all the same to me. I do not and cannot trust any person whom I know to be superficial and insincere to others. Can you? I thank you very much for your sympathy and I need not add that I appreciate it very much.

I have only half an hour to get dressed and look up the house so I think I had better keep the rest for the next time. I have lots more I want to say. Joe, my brother, calls me “Peggy the Chatterbox.” I had him laughing all the dinner hour.

With best wishes and thanks for the photos and hoping to here from you soon I am.

Most Sincerely,

Daisy Holzwarth

 

April 22, 1906

Blogger Note:  Only a few letters in, and I already am out of order.  Found a letter that I had misfiled from April 1906.  The last post was from May of 1906.  My apologies!  Thank you to all of the new subscribers and everyone who has commented or sent me an email of support!  I wanted to get this up today, so the scans will come later in the next day or so for this post. Happy reading!

My dear Mr. Henderson,

I received your letter about two weeks ago. How time flies! I am very naughty this morning, I did not go to church. It is the third time this year and I feel very guilty.

Last Sabbath I was home. I went home Thursday before Easter and came back Tuesday after Easter. School began Tuesday but I missed the early train consequently did not get here in time to open school. I presume our Principal was disgusted with me but then I have been disgusted many times. I suppose you are disgusted with me by this time.

I did not know Bonnie was going West. You know how I told you she called on me and we had a delightful time. I took her to the Ferry and the last thing she promised was to let me know when she could come again and when I could call on her. But the naughty little girl never let me hear from her again. I forgive her however for I know how homesick she was.

Yes, I too am very sorry that the good times we had last summer will probably never come again. I may not think of it at all. Bonnie expected to spend her vacation with me at our home and now that will not come to pass. I want to come West very much. The girls have invited me but I am afraid I cannot. Of course one never knows what will come to pass but the way things look now I shall not be able to come. But probably I can come some other time. I would enjoy nothing more than to entertain you all at my home. It would be so much fun and a pleasure to have you all come. But I see that you do not expect to come East for six years. That seems like a long time.

I sincerely hope that you will be successful and I have no doubt. I know you will be successful if you try hard enough but I do wish you would not try to do too much. I am afraid that you are working pretty hard. You must not forget that you need time for rest and exercise.

Our boys (that is the boys in my school) have organized themselves into the Sewell Athletic Association. Their colors are blue and gold. We have very pretty pennants. The pennant is gold with the world Sewell in blue letters on it. The boys are very proud of them. They play ball twice a week with some other school team of Camden. Of course we (teachers) always go to the games.

I received a very pretty Easter Greeting from Peru. I feel confident you sent it. Did you not? Thank you very much. I was very much surprised.

You ask me where I am going to spend my vacation. I expect to spend the last week in June at West Point and New York. Then I expect to spend a week at Mt. Gretna and Lebanon and the rest of the summer I shall spend at home.

I have been very busy sewing. I made my spring suit and now I am making a cream colored suit (skirt & short jacket) for the summer.

I started this letter Sabbath morning. This is Wednesday morning. I decided when I come down to breakfast that I would finish this letter before I went to school. I really meant to answer before but I shall not make any excuses.

With best wishes for your success and many thanks for the pretty Easter Greeting.

Sincerely,

Daisy Holzwarth

May 29, 1906

Blogger Note:  I was ecstatic to wake up this morning to see all the new subscribers, comments, and emails and it just kept getting better throughout the day (thanks to my younger brother Josh who posted on Reddit where it gained some popularity today).  I couldn’t imagine this type of response and the sheer number of people who are interested in this blog and story!  I’m even more motivated to continue to transcribe and post (yes, I promise to post more often). I will respond to everyone who emailed me as soon as I am able.

 I’ll also be starting a research section to start uncovering even more information on Daisy and John.  A special thanks to my brother Joshua who redesigned the site!  Happy reading!

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I have set aside tonight to answer letters. It is the best thing for me to talk to my friends. Last Friday evening about nine o’clock I received a telegram telling me to come home at once. I left Camden for Lancaster about 11:40 P.M. and arrived in Lancaster at 2:00 A.M. Saturday. I found my mother very ill. He thought she would not live. She had two attacks of congestion of the blood. The last attack left her lame on the right side. I sincerely hope the doctor will succeed in restoring her the use of her right side.

I tell you I have a terrible time since last Friday. But I feel sure God has helped me to live thru it and has helped me to endure the pain which I suffered in finding her dear mother in such condition.  I know he helps us bear all our burdens if we will let him.

I was delighted to hear of your good fortune. I cannot help saying that you deserve much credit in the progress you are making. You certainly do deserve to be commended for earning your own way thru school. I always think more of a self-made man than one that has been humored and has had every thing always. I should certainly like to see some of your work and I should like to have one of the pictures you took and finished.

I was delighted to hear of Miss Updegrave’s marriage.  I sincerely hope it will be a happy one and that he will know how to treat her. She deserved a good husband because all I know of her is only what is good. As for men I feel almost disgusted with them. If you expect to hear of my engagement soon I am afraid you shall be disappointed.

Sunday a week ago I went to “Old Christ” church Philadelphia. Have you ever been there? I think it is very quaint and pretty. It is just the kind of church and churchyard one reads about in books. Of course I was in the pew which Washington used.

Saturday a week ago I attended the services at Girard College. Founder’s Day is always celebrated. This was the 156^th anniversary of Stephen Girard’s birth. The school provides for about 1800 boys who have lost either father or mother or both of Pennsylvania. Vice Provost Smith’s of the University of Pa. address was very good. He said “Stephen Girard is erecting monuments to God at the rate of 250 a year.”

Have you heard from the girls lately? I have heard from them for a long time but I presume they are very busy. My how much I do miss them. I have always had at least one of them but now they are all gone. But I must not complain.

I hope I have not grown worse since last summer. I hope I have grown better. I am trying to behave myself so that when I come West some time in the far future I shall not disgrace all of you.

I must write three other letters if I want to get done sometime before morning I shall have to close this one.

With best wishes for your success.

Sincerely,

Daisy Holzwarth

P.S. It is raining hard and I am afraid it will stop our baseball game tomorrow. But we need the rain most. I have been told that every woman and girl always adds a post script so I must help keep up the reputation and add something more a “fringe.”  Daisy

Footnote:  For those interested in Girard college and Stephen Girard, here are a couple links for further reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Girard

Girard College