Papers of the Benjamin Franklin Yancey Family

H. Shelton to Harriet Anna Yancey, July 20, 1938

Family | Hard times | Health, illness and death | Home/Farm life | Place--Pennsylvania | Work and employment

The handwriting in this letter is nearly illegible.

H. Shelton writes Harriet Yancey discussing his life after the death of his mother.

To: Mrs. Harrit Yancey
972 Woodland Ave
Plainfield NJ
From: H. Shelton
662 N. camac, Phila Pa
Postmark: Philadelphia 4, PA
[missing text]20, 1938
[missing text] PM

July 20-1938

My Dear harriet

I has received all of you letter but after mothers death and what I Saw after I got home I lost heart in [missing text] Everything I has Now wrote to no one since mother died because my mine has ben so up Set that I Just could not make up my mine to write hard is I has [missing text] to [missing text] to [missing text] a home when I got home Julia and ?Arthur? had got in the house and Clean up ?out? So ?arthur? is goying to [missing text] for

(page 2)

part I just cant get over it good as I has ben to him I just cant over look it I am Just waiting to get back home again after this is settle I dont want to see no more in life because Shee is to [missing text] to live one [missing text] up dont know ?arthur? [missing text] I do you ?may? think Shee is all righ but shee is not She is all for ?Arthur? Shee dont want any one to have any think but his Self harriet you Just Excuse me for not writing to you before now

(page 3)

I hope this will not ?happen? again but you know the trouble that I has had ?on? me [missing text] one not good with me [missing text] the one man Im not making my ?money? any more now you can see what in the ?world? to day it is Nothing but trubel god She of this time it [missing text] is at the door now for all of [missing text] ?rise? to See ?plain? harrit I Show do want to See you and have a long talk you with you then I will tell you all ?better? than I can write then you will be face to face then you will know all

(page 4)

I received Aunt Clara letter Saying that She want to go home an asked me to let here live in the house ?you? I will be to glad, for here to go home an live with me but harrit in that house that is where my Mother ?cant? [missing text] death of ?last? the house look all right [missing text] the [missing text] ?Sid? bout it is not all right one ?the? ?in? ?sid? I ?Send? ?arthur? Monday to build me a good house and Shee taking it brought him self a farm

(page 5)

harriet I will gave you my word this ?term? after the rush is over I will come over the last of Septembe an has a talk with you and Aunt Calara that will be the best thing for me to do then I can tell you all that is better then writing then we can Explain things better [missing text] things are very bad here I am goying home Soon as my time is up one the Road harriet to live in the City Now it take all you can make and at

(page 6)

the End you has not got any thing because the wages is so low you cant mak a living if it were not for the [missing text] the [missing text] people here would starve to death because the cant get no work to do at all remember me to the Children when you see them I dont write to ?Arthur? at all harriet you must take care of you [missing text] self [missing text] and dont work two hard.

(page 7)

harriet I has got to put a new ?front? one that house befor I can live in it Just as soon as Im able the Aunt Clara is well come to [missing text] live with me I has got thing in two storage that I has got to get [missing text] and ?send? home be cause the are costing me to much to keep them there. I ?still? send you this bill So you can see for your self please send them back to me as I has got to keep them

(page 8)

I wont wait this long again [missing text] befor writing to you you tell aunt Clara what I say what [missing text] is Shee ?going? home tell Mee all the news when you Write agan

Write Soon

From yr cousion
H. Shelton

662 N. Camac St.
Phila Pa

Published by: Virginia Center for Digital History

Source copy consulted: Papers of the Benjamin Franklin Yancey Family (MSS 11599), Alderman Library, University of Virginia

Text and images (c) copyright 2001, by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia

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