Ella's Kind Letter?

Dec 24, 1886
South Stockton, NY

Ella i recieved your ever kind and welcome letter to day and i will not delay an answer to you i can see you have had a change of mind and i am so glad on our children’s account and i can see by your letter that you begin to show your Mother’s love for you children how glad they will bee to have their mother’s love + respect + to advise in the right way to go is better than one Ella think how thankful we may bee that Levy Miller is not our boy he went down to the gristmill to get a bag of meal and when they was puting it up he went in the office where the safe is and took out the till to steal the money and John kicked the door open and caught him at it they have missed money all Summer but did not know who stole it but have caught the thief now we have got children Ella that we can feel proud of i want to make good christians of them and Ella did you ever think of the hear after if you have not i have and i think we had both aught to turn our steps in a different direction that is lead a good christian life Ella our children is all well with the exception of a slite cold how cunning little Mark looks with his little pants and boots on. 

Ella i hear that Mary Tilyover is a trying to live a noble life since she had hur misfortune and i think if she is every body had ought to try to help her not try to tare down hur hopes when she is trying to build up a good moral name we have got our new part of the house all plastered and walls painted over head is painted sky blue when you come you will think it looks nice. 

Ella i can’t tell just when i can come i am a looking fro a letter from a party and expect to get a job if he wrights to me and have got to answer the letter rite of or loose my job but you sent me your picture by return mail and i will take it as good faith that you will meet me when i come down there for you know how it would make me feel to come down there and not find you the children is all to school or i would have them write to you i will let Mark write to you in his way for you know he can’t write but he can make marks and show his good will to you in that way answer my letters when i write to you and i will write to you and let you know when i come down to Warren when i come i shal put up to the Warren house would like to see you very much if you can meet me at Jamestown on the Thursday 30th i would pay your fare up there and save me the trip down to Warren write soon.  yours as ever Geo Burns

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Thoughts:  As I warned, these letters really are most likely out of order.  At this point, I feel George thinks there is still hope for his marriage.  And, it foreshadows the letter to his mother-in-law in which he was angry about a ruse to get him to Warren so Ella could present him with a bill of divorce.  He doesn't know about her boyfriend in this letter.  He thinks that he holds the four aces in his hand-- their boys.

 It is interesting that George argues his case to Ella on the back of Levy Miller's fall from grace as thief and the reinvention/redemption of Mary Tilyover over whatever her misfortunes may have been. George is reminding Ella they are in parenthood together no matter what and perhaps even a fallen woman could and should be forgiven. 

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