July the 20th 1836
1836 Letter from William Lewis Harper, To his Mother, Louisa Lewis Harper, At Home, "Secluseval", Jefferson County, Mississippi
July the 20th 1836
Dear Mother
To answer your request, I am in good health and my shoulders are well. I have none to attend to now than I had to at home last. Since then my grammar class has been divided as we complained to our teacher concerning the matter. This family is extremely sickly at present. Mr. and Mrs. Price and the oldest child is sick, including the cook. Mr. Price is extremely so with the chills and fever and the headache. This father and mother is well as the next of us, spent the greater part of last night without sleep as he was suffering with the headache.
I visited the funeral of Mr. Daniels one of the members of the board of trustees. It was attended with great ceremony. Mrs. Watson is also dead and they were both buried yesterday. Disaster also prevalent among the students. Many are sick but few are disabled. I will not have concluded without omitting that am still your affectionate son
W.L. Harper
The session will end at the time appointed but you must be sure and send once during this interval.
Mr. Price has relapsed since I wrote this with violent sick stomach and vomiting and they have sent for the doctor.
WLH