University of Virginia Library

Letter from Adelaide E. Case to Charles N. Tenney, 1862 February 4

Do you know
how sweet those three word sound
to me? and also how dear?
No wonder I love to linger on these words
but I must turn to other subjects.
I must give you an account of my "days
works." I have been engaged, (I think) in
a good work to day.. not as noble a
work as you are engaged in, but it is
the best that I could do. I have been
to the "Soldiers Aid Society" working real hard
Do I hear your approval? Oh: how I wish
you could have been there.. It is really
amusing to see old and young gathered
in the "Union Hall" for the benefit
of the soldiers. Here in one corner of the
"Hall" sits a group of "Mecca Belles"
busily sewing bandages or some garment or

perhaps "scraping lint." I hope you will
never see that, and in another place sits
the "young married people" engaged in
the same way, while the olderlaidies
are standing over the table and stove cooking
chickens to send to the hospitals, What
a dreadful night last night was for the
four "chickees" A perfect massacre Bye the
way Charlie do you not think it a wise
idea, that of canning chickens for the sick
soldiers, now when some supplies arrive from
Cleveland for the hospital just "play
sick" a little while long enough to get
some "Mecca goodies" But Charlie will
not do so will he? dont mind me
this time, Dear Charlie, do you wonder
at my little simple letters. Laurie has
just been here and she would readit
I know just by the smile she had
on her face that she thought there was
simplicity enough about this, and perhaps
a slight attack of silliness. May be so
but I have tried to make my letters
as cheerful as possible so that you
would not get homesick. Let Laurie look
if she wantstoo, do you care?

Our school closes tomorrow. I do
not regret that it does for our teacher
has been so faithful in his instructions
to Miss Hezles that he has neglected
his other scholars, therefore I do not feel
much edified Sadie says that he is
not handsome but "fine looking" might be
appropriately applied to him, any way his
mouth is crooked. I may be allowed the
expression as our minister used it, that
he had been kissed so much his mouth
had been drawn to one side

Oh: what a benevolent town Mecca is.
We have had four donations here from the
four different ministers that watch over
their flocks and now we are to have
one for Mr Duncan the singing teacher
that was.

Hallie is in Warren again studying. How
much better it seems to know that he

is not encountering the insolent for
He thinks of renting a house and
taking his sisters with him to friends over
it in his absence. Hope you will make us
a visit when the Misses Dignitaries get
to keeping house, Charlie I wish you would
step in and fix our lamp it is making an
awful sputtering. first it will flash out and
give a "splat" and then repeat it, but Laurie
is getting frightened and has blown it out

Oil city is not dead There are some wells
inopperation down in "Dixie" as good as ever
were known Mr Wilbur also has started
a well which yields the liquid money as
well as any on his farm. But as you pass
along you would not know that such a
thing as "Mecca Oil" was ever known only
by the deserted shanties which stare at you
and an occasional glimpse of the steam
puffing out of the roof of their engine
houses. There are but few wells in opperation
at present, but what areyeild very plentifully
The war excitement has mounted the throne
in precedence of the oil excitement.

My health is good yours is, is it not?
Auntie sends her double and twisted respects
she does not know that I am writing
that remark. Laurie is anxiously waiting
an answer for her letter that she sent
in mine.