1a de Sota Nov 7 1886 [Sunday 7 Nov 1886]

1a Calle de Sota City of Mexico [Primera Calle de Sota, Mexico City, Mexico]

My Dear Josephine [Josephine Snow, b. 1859]

I have been anxiously looking for a letter from you for a week past in answer to the one your father [Erastus Snow, b. 1818] wrote soon after we reached here [Mexico City] a letter from Georgie [Georgiana Snow Thatcher, b. 1862] informs us that Libby [Elizabeth Ashby Snow Ivins, b. 1854] was down again and I have felt very anxious to hear how she is I expect she has gone to work and overdone I am so sorry you had to leave her I hope she is better by this time she must give up trying to work could she not have got Sada [?] or some other girl to have taken more off her than Saber [?] could you also mentioned in one of your letters that Flora [Florence Snow Woolley, b. 1856] was miserable but did not tell what the cause I hope she is feeling better I am glad she is going to spend the winter in St George we received letters from James [James Snow, b. 1842] yesterday folks all well Arthur [Arthur Eugene Snow, b. 1870] started for home a week ago will reach home about the last of the month [Tuesday 30 Nov 1886] he is with Br Jarvis [Brother Jarvis] and family be sure and let us know as soon as he arrives this is Sunday [7 Nov 1886] and is more like a holiday band of music playing all the forenoon on the Alameda opposite our house this evening a grand turnout of all the Aristocracy of the City [Mexico City] in Caridges [carriages] and on foot every body goes out to show themselves and their fine clothes just look at the fashion plates in magazines and you will have some idea of the styles of dress I cannot begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed my visit here and the sightseeing but I always wish you could be here to share it with me my health has been very good and I believe I am much more fleshy than when I came our family now numbers six I manage the cooking and have a girl to do the druggary [drudgery] and we only cook two meals a day so I have plenty of time to go and come as I like I thought I would stay at home and write this afternoon the Men have gone to ixtecalco [Iztacalco – borough of Mexico City] to baptize John Pise's wife I suppose Tony [Anthony Woodward Ivins, b. 1852] will know them the father of the family is dead I was there a short ime ago and had a nice ride on the canal by moonlight we expect to stay here another week and perhaps longer it is so uncertain about doing business here takes one so long I cannot tell when I shall come home perhaps we shall deside [decide] when we get to Jane's [?] we were invited out last evening to visit Mr a Mrs Smith Americans and had a pleasant visit last week Gregore [?] an acquaintance of Franks [Franklin Richards Snow, b. 1854] came to see us and brought us a regular Mexican dinner it was all I could do to eat it but I had to eat and say it was good as she had taken so much pains to please as I did not want to disapoint [disappoint] her she set the day for us to return the visit and I was afraid I should have to eat another Mexican dinner so I thought I would take them an American lunch I stufed [stuffed] and baked a Chicken made an apple and custard pie some bread and butter and had Br Santiago [Brother Santiago] send up some hot coffee but when we got there the dinner was almost ready and I had to force myself to eat and say it was good but they all enjoyed my food and there was more of it left except a portion the old lady said she was going to save for her brother that was going to visit her next day but I found out the brother was dead and it is customary to at certain times to set out food for there [their] dead friends but I do not think he eat much of it I am very much disappointed at not getting Unkle Richards [Uncle Franklin D. Richards ?] address we should have gone to Orizaba and found him it would have been such a good chance we wrote to John [?] before we left juarez [Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico] and sent envelope addressed to us here we heard of a man named Abshby [Ashby] and hunted him up but found he spelt [spelled] his name Aspe but said he would write to his aunt at Orizaba and find out if he knew any one by that name.

I bought me two canarys [canaries] the other day but was carless [careless] in handleing [handling] them and let one get away I am now trying to find me a talking parrott [parrot] I have my bedroom floor covered with feathers for a bed we get nice Duck feathers for twelve cents a pound and they make splendid beds we get them as they come off the ducks and lay them out and dry them

Fryday [Friday 5 Nov 1886] we took a walk and to see the tomb of Juarez then took a streetcar and went to the Grand Cathedral [Cathedarl of Guadalupe in Mexico City] and climbed way to the top of the tower and had a splendid view of the valley of Mexico we spent about an hour there then visited the old church of the inquisition [Church of the Inquisition] Gregore told us there was an underground passage opened into the court next to where she lived when they used to bring prisoners from that church to torture them and I had a cureosity [curiosity] to go and visit the church there is [are] two skeletons in the museum that show what agony they must have endured well it is about time for the folks to return and I must get them some dinner we have most every kind tropical fruits here but I do not care for any but Oranges I eat them from morning until night and never get tired of them I often wish I could hand you a basket full the pine apples [pineapples] are very nice also we have plenty of good mutton and beef chickens and duck and can get any kind of vegetables we want we buy good bread of a french baker so I never bake any bread unless once in a while for a change your father [Erastus Snow, b. 1818] health has been very good since I have been here with the exception of a few days we all had a kind of distemper like a bad cold I have not seen him so well for years but he cannot read nor write much on account of his eyes they are not sore but very dim and it can hardly be wondered at when we remember how many years he had used by lamplight but I think if he is careful they will be better I try to keep him from using them all I can by reading for him and there is generally some one around that can write for him I cannot think of coming home and leaving him only [if] there is someone who can take better care of hm than I can well I expect you will say mother has done wonders in writing such a long letter remember me to all who inquire after me Sister Ivins and Aunt Rachel Emma Gates [Emma Fosberry Gates] this is for you all you must send it to Flora [Florence Snow Woolley, b. 1856] and kiss all the children for me and tell them Gramma [Grandma] and Grandpa want to see them all from your loving Mother Elizabeth R Snow [Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby Snow, b. 1831]