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Browse Items (31 total)

  • Tags: humor

April 14 , 1892

Mary Leslie Newton recounts a series of social calls, a poor sermon at church, drawing lessons, and some games of croquet. She concludes the letter with a humorous paragraph of "miscellany," which includes a mathematical equation and the date of the…


April 17, 1892

Mary Leslie Newton provides an account of an explosion that took place in Xenia and claimed at least one life. She mentions the Easter sermon, and a humorous postscript mentions a "dangerous" book that she worries may end her association with a new…


April 20, 1892

Mary Leslie Newton discusses her sewing, mailing several magazines to her father, rent, and her father's stamp catalogue. She mentions wanting a teaching job. She concludes with the story of a strange cat that appeared and killed two of their…


April 23, 1891

Mary Leslie Newton describes the weather, humorously chides her father for not telling them whether or not he is will, blames the typewriter for her silliness, and discusses yard work and exams.


April 8, 1892

Mary Leslie Newton writes a humorous account of the arrival of 8 cows in their yard, and the attempts of a Mr. Stokes to drive them out.


August 11, 1891

An unusual letter compared to the others: Mary Leslie Newton was attending a Teacher's Institute. In addition to her normal meta-commentary, observations about weather, church, and school, she also combined multiple handwritten sections amid the…


December 23, 1891

Mary Leslie Newton provides a humorous account of her forgetfulness, which caused her to miss a week of letters; she goes on to discuss further activity related to the potential sale of their house, as well as Christmas gifts and shopping.


December 24, 1891

Mary Leslie Newton provides an account of Christmas gifts given and received, as well as several local deaths due to illness. She signs her name Dorothy Q.


December 3, 1891

Mary Leslie Newton provides an account of recent events, including bad news about her sister Halley's vision, good news about her teeth, and a handwritten postscript regarding the type of envelope she is using.


December 5, 1891

Mary Leslie Newton writes a business letter to her father about a woman who has offered to trade them her farm for their house, and requests her father's response.