Letter from C.R. Pryor to his niece Annie  written on stationary from the St. James Hotel, Selma, Alabama


Selma, Ala., Dec 6th 1879

My Dear Annie:


Your very welcome letter reached me a few days ago and I am proud to answer it and to express my pleasure in hearing from you and your mother's family. I did not receive your letter when I was at Montgomery a few weeks ago, owing to my short stay there, but when I returned it was handed to me. I am so very glad to hear that you and Billy have joined the Church. You will never regret it and I hope and pray that you both will hold out faithful.
I am glad to know that your dear Mother and my dear Sister, is well and if I can make my arrangements to suit, I may possibly get out to see you all after a while. It is a such a terrible trip horseback from the station out to your house that I tremble to think of it.
I am glad to hear the the boys have done well this year in cotton, because it is bringing so good a price it will repay them for their labor.
My own health is improving and I hope I will be able to keep at work and not be sick as I was last winter. Annie, you must read and study all you can - maybe in God's mercy, we will not always be so poor as we now are, and God may yet smile on our family and let us up, so that we may all live together and have enough to keep the wolf of poverty from our door. It does seem hopeless at times to work so hard, for so little. But good luck may come when we least expect it, and all we can do is to wait and trust God's goodness. Give my best love to Sister and all the children. I will write to Pokie & Ripley's wife soon. She wrote to me and I was very proud of it. Goodbye, me dear Annie - I will write again & send you something.

Your loving uncle,
C. R. Pryor