No. 65

Chas. in 1883 on Fire

Stewart King c/o

John C. Davant, Attorney

501 Cleveland St.

Clearwater Florida

December 13, 1938

Dear Stewart,

Form 30. NIGHT MESSAGE.

Western Union Telegraph.

Feb 13, 1883

To: Mrs. P. S. King, Clinton, Iowa

House burned to ground. All survive. Came home in time to save some furniture. Board now by way of C. C. Knapp, my agent and neighbor, who confirms hard pill—was late on insurance policy by two weeks. Impossible to tell father. You must. – Chas.

Your mother told me that Charles came home just time to run throughout the burning house and save what could be saved.

She said that he cared more about his Civil War diary and relics than another item she wanted, but I never learned what she cared for.

She said, "He only cared for ..."

But I went soft. I imagined Charles ran a gauntlet of decisions with flames licking his rushing heels. For me that night, what energy ripped through me, trying to fall asleep with my rosary, I began to slip away from the life of Christ and turned to the mysteries of the world.

Your mother, still in pain from her accident in 1895, kept taking that medicine, which made her sleepy. I could not be too far from her bedroom, so I overtook one of the rooms since your brothers were away at school. Until she was able to walk more, I stayed in that room with books about shipbuilding and military history. I found a bell to leave at her nightstand. She rang it when she had to move.

--Miss Minnie

2025 Copyright Christine Friesel