ADDRESSED TO: Mrs. Helen STAGE, Lambs Creek, Pa.
FROM: Her sister, Mary A. WOOD (called Mate), Havana, NY
Havana, March 15, 1889
Dear sister
I received your letter the 13th. I am so sorry you are going away so far I have thought about you so much lately and I thought when the weather got warm you and the baby1 would come out here and make a good long visit and now you are going away I don't know wether I can come out before you go or not but I do want to see you If I know of anyone going that way that I could go with maybe I will come but dont look for me I went up to Uncle Levis last evening They are well Helen and Grace2 are both in Mansfield I have been to Uncle Sams3 He is down to Covert visiting I heard today that Bert4 was going to move If he does I will have to move my things away from there I dont know wether George5 is going to move He is carrying the mail from Cayuta to Swartwood It is the route Guy Millspaugh had Tell ma I will come and keep house with her if she wants me to but I would rather not come till next fall I have not got my money yet and I want to get it before I go away She can get a place to live and I will help her pay the rent just the same as though I was there This is if she keeps well and then when I get ready I will move out there Tell her I dont like the place where she used to live I think it would be better to rent part of a house even if she has to pay more for it Rent is quite cheap here but there is not much work to do I wish you were not going away and I would like to see you all and if I were not such a booby I would I shall have to bring my letter to a close for the old folks are going to bet and I shall have to go too Goodbye and love to you all
Ever your loving sister Mate
P.S. Tell ma I have not seen Mrs. B. Tell her to write to me so I will know what she is going to do.
Notes from the peanut gallery:
1) "The baby" is Tessie Viola Stage b. October 14, 1888.
2) Uncle Levi's surname is unknown at the moment. Since these are sisters corresponding and they're not close in age (13 yrs), I assume he's legitimately an uncle to both. I further assume that he is not an uncle by marriage otherwise I believe they'd have been inclined to mention the "blood aunt". That would make him a WOOD or a GANOUNG. Helen and Grace seem likely to be his daughters.
3) Sam is Samuel B. Owen which doesn't help my logic in item #3 since it was Sam's unreferenced wife who was the blood relative. I think I can make a case for an exception here because Aunt Sarah (GANOUNG) Owen was deceased.
4) Bert is assumed to be brother Herbert M. Wood. b. November 12, 1859. In other contexts Bert might be Albert STAGE but since he is Helen's husband one assumes it would be superfluous of Mate to pass this along.
5) George is brother George J. Wood, b. September 19, 1851.