264 A COMPOSITE FAMILY 



Last Winter when father got ill, and we went over to the 

 beach and stayed in a hotel, then I found it was just the 

 right thing to come from eastern people. There were girls 

 that scored high from having come from fighters in that old 

 shindy between England and the States Daughters of the 

 Revolution, they called themselves, and wore pins according 

 to the States they claimed, as proud as peacocks. 



Dad said your grandfather was a general in that war, and 

 that he would get me the papers proving it, but he died be- 

 fore he did it. Now, grandfather, I 'm going to marry 

 daddy's young partner, who was raised east, though his 

 grandfather did n't fight, and I don't want anything you can 

 buy me for a wedding present, because I 've enough money. 

 But I do want you to fix me up those papers and send me a 

 few bits of the family silver and a picture of you, the oil 

 painting dad says hung in the dining-room, and perhaps the 

 family Bible with the old silver clasps, if you can spare it, 

 something to show, you know, for family relics when we 

 have the eastern crowd out to see the vineyards. And do 

 write me about yourself. How many hands do you keep, and 

 do you reap with steam or horse power ? 



Some day I 'm going to surprise you with a visit and 

 coax you back here with me, next Spring maybe. How do 

 you like my last picture ? It looks sad in a black dress, but 

 I 'm really never sad, and I love pretty, fluffy clothes. Adieu. 

 Don't forget the papers and the silver. 



Your affec. ALOIS. 



Daddy said Lois was his mother's name and Adele was 

 my mother's, so he pieced them together for mine A-lois, my 

 patron saint. 



