Page 9 Benjamin Lafayette Smith’s letters, etc.
 
 
 Pa received your letter that had the bills in it and said that he answered it
 immediately. Do the rabbits trouble your garden peas much? If they do, if you
 will set some rough edge planks up on their edges around them they will not jump
 over. We did that and we have some of the nicest peas you ever saw. Pa does
 not take any paper except the Union and the Columbus Democrat (the Columbus
 Eagle I believe it was called while you staid here. It has been changed twice,
 first it Was the Southern Standard & then the Eagle and now the Democrat.
 Ask Cousin if he is a democrat. If he is a whig, tell him if he will take the
 Democrat he will not be one long.
 Mr. King has sold his land to Mr. George Whitfield for $25 per acre. Mr. King
  offered to sell his corn crop to Pa for 30 cts per bu. If we do not have any
  more frost we will have a great many peaches and tben Ma will put up a barrel
 of brandy peaches. You must come down and help us to eat them, for I know you
 love them because you loved them as well as any of us while you stayed here.
 From your affectionate cousin
 Lafayette Smith
 --------------------------------------
 
 
  June the 21st 1857
 
 My dear cousin (Mack Warren)
 The first question is that I have to ask why you have not writ-
 ten to me. I expect your answer will be because you have not received my let—
 teror because your examination is close by. Well, that is not much excuse. You
 could write a few lines anyhow to let me know how you are getting along. My
 examinations will come off on the 3rd of July next. I will write you a few
 lines any how it it is not but one page. I answered your letter on the fourth
 of last April: and now it is nearly July and you have not written to me yet.
 All of last spring was very changeable: The last frost Was on 18th of May. Last
 Tuesday and Wednesday was very cool for June. The themometer was at 60 both
 days; and the highest it has ever been was at 90. Every body says that it was
 the worst they ever saw in this country. Pa has the latest cotton in the neigh-.
 borhood. It did not come up untill every body’s had bee up fOr a month, He
 was pestered about it wright smart untill it came up and after it came up and
 is covered with grass, and he is pestered with it wright smart. He says that
 he has never been in the grass so before in ten years. He has the next best
 corn in the neighborhood.
 We Had some company yesterday. Mrs. Harnesberger and her girls and Mrs. Toland and
 and her two girls.
 Tell Miss Nancy Lowery that “John Baird (or Barnes?) says that he loves her
 harder than a mule could kick down hill with a bag of corn on its back, and that
 she is the prettiest girl in Charleston”. I am not joking about it. He did
 say so and told me three or four times and that I must not forget to put it
 in the next letter that I wrote to you.
 The schollars are going to have a party or dinner at the end of the session.
 Mr. Turnipseed is not going to teach next session because the people will not
 give him enough. He said that he would not teach for less than $1200 for those
 that are in the township and risk getting more for those that out of it. I did
 not want him to quit for he is a very good teacher and I liked him very well.
 Sherman says that you have not answered his letter yet and that you must answer
 it and that will make two letters that you have not answered.
 Ma has named the baby Curtis Clifford, one of your names and one of Cousins. I
 liked to have caught the small pox in Columbus not long ago. I went in the
 same room that a young gentleman that bad it.