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Letters of an Abiding Faith:

Legacy of a Slave's GrandDaughter to her Son

written by Ella Lewis to her Son (Rudolph Lewis)
 

 

Letter 4

 

March 7, 1977

 

My dear Son,

Just a line or two let you hear from me. This leave me feeling pretty good. Hope these few lines may find you doing fine. I receive your letter. Some glade to hear from you. Yes I do want the high fi and the air conditioner. I preshate it to the highest.* But what are you going to do stop keeping house. Lucinda say it will be after it warm Before she get James truck to come down. I will keep her in mind of it.

Well I got the Water Back in the house.** I had to dig a new line. But thanks to God I got it Back. It cost me one hundred and forty dollars. I thank to God I got it. It was so pretty here to day. It was 59 degrees. But in places the ground is still Frozen.

How is School going with you. Better I hope. All here is about the Same. Able to work stead of complaint. Uncle Sam is about the Same.*** I am still trying to work. I am Smoking my meat now.**** Sistuh's Sonny recked Elaine's car Sunday night. But no Body got hurt.* I guess he went to sleep.

So you take care of your self. And dont forget to pray. I am praying for you that the Lord will keep you to Be what you want to Be. And dont forget Mother loves you as always. I preshate you giving me the things. But what are you going to stop house keeping or what.

You take care of your self as you know I am a poor riter. So you rite when you can. Dont forget me. Susie drop case of apple Sause on her foot. Broke it. She was on the job. Let me know if you got the money I putting it in plain letter.

Bye from Mother Ella, I love you

 

 
 

  Commentary 

* For the word "appreciate," Mama often will write "preshate." 

**Getting "water back into the house" refers to fixing the plumbing. A line ran from the well to the main house; an electric pump was used to draw the water from the well. When I left home in 1965, there was no indoor plumbing. Water had to be carried from the well that Mama and Daddy dug when they first moved up to Jerusalem in 1948. Most people in the neighborhood used outhouses, which was set off at a distance from the main house. It posed a difficult situation in the winter time. In addition, none in our community had a telephone. We were fortunate to get our first TV, a Zenith, in August 1958. Our cultural isolation came to an end. I got my first chance to see the outside world. How wonderful indeed.

***"Uncle Sam" is Mama’s brother Sam Jackson. He is now dead. (See Introduction for other names.) ****There was a house in the backyard used to smoke pig meat. The floor of the smokehouse was the cement porch of the first house built at Jerusalem that burned down about 1952.

 

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