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Miss Briggs will not be taking the position at Franklin School, and Peirce would like to have it.

Recently visited her grandmother, stopping in New Albany, Jeffersonville, Indianapolis, and Lafayette. Comments on family and friends, social visits. Difficult to stay caught up with letters. Will be attending the opera and went to a church social. "I am well supplied with Music and Fashions; this winter, receive the Musical Review, monthly; Harper's Bazar weekly and Frank Leslie." Does not expect to receive the Leslie for long, as it was a gift from an "unknown friend in St. Louis," whose letter she has not answered and expects he "will probably become discouraged before long." Is happy to be home but wishes she had stayed another year at school, as it is difficult to study at home. Is engaged to be married this winter, and briefly mentions wedding plans and frustrations. Asks after accompanying Sadie on a trip to Europe.

Family updates. Fashion and descriptions of clothing. Pen & Ink illustration and instructions for using a hair puff.

"Earl is writing and Mr Livingston is playing on his fiddle so you see we are all occupied." Impact of snow storm on their crops. Tight on money. Family news, including her opinion that her Brother 'does not lead a very happy life the girl they took has run away she would not stay with Harriet." Daughter attended a wedding where "the supper cost five hundred dollars." Doing laundry, "I had just put out my clothes when it begun to rain and hail I brought them in and thawed them and had to wring them again."

Lengthy talk of marriages and weddings. Notes men marrying local women and then moving away, while local men marry women outside the area and bring them back.

Notice of their mother's death and an account of her final illness. "You are sure we are all in great grief, as you & all of us know she was the best of Mothers." Buried her in Highgate Cemetery. Comments on the will and legacies. Suffering from bad weather and poor health, worried about the corn harvest and "slack" business.

Comments on illnesses in the family, working hard, Christmas and New Year celebrations. Asks after friends and family. Written on presidential campaign letterhead, featuring portraits of Horatio Seymour (1810-1886) and Frank P. Blair, Jr. (1821-1875). “I hope these portraits wont offend you but it is all the kind of Paper I have.”

Notes changes that have occurred since they went on a Fourth of July ride three years ago, including marriages, a friend moving to Iowa, and Thirza moving to Michigan. Discusses his work. Was teased when people discovered he had a letter written in a lady’s hand awaiting him at the post office. Trying to clarify their relationship status, and settle a disagreement that got blown out of proportion due to epistolary miscommunications. “But Thirza we have been correspondents some time and if we were not or never intended to be I should dropped all this long ago, but I always considered it as a mutual engagement long before you went West.” Hoping to move west soon but is uncertain whether parents will allow him.

Cora J. Brown’s Song Book. Dated October 25, 1869 on the cover but the songs inside date from September 1869 to October 1870. Songs included: Safe Within the Vail, Over on the Other Side, the Happy Song, Angry Words, We Love to Sing Together, Ring the Bell Watchman, Don’t Kill the Birds, the Famous Girl, Weaver John, Daisy Deane, Viva L America, and Follow your Leader. Pages attached together with thread.

Hand-made booklet with pencil and watercolor illustrations of garden scenes, the name "Florence Isabelle Parsons," young girls, a floral bouquet, the exterior of a home, and a scroll with faded pencil inscription that reads "Be a good girl / and strive to / learn all you / can. / Florence I. Parsons / Rebecca Kilmer."